Your rights

Static caravan owners' rights: what the law gives you, and what it doesn't.

If you own a caravan on a holiday park, you have far fewer protections than someone who lives in a park home. Most of what you can rely on comes from consumer law and the small print of your agreement, so it pays to know both before there is a problem.

The short version

The Mobile Homes Act 1983 does not cover you. It protects people living in a park home as their main home, not holiday owners.
Consumer law does. The caravan must be as described and of satisfactory quality, and unfair terms in your agreement cannot be enforced against you.
There is no legal cap on site fees or commission for holiday caravans. What you pay is set by your agreement, which is why the wording matters.
Trading Standards has published guidance listing park practices that may be unfair, from blocking private sales to threatening owners who complain.
Thousands of owners are in a group legal action over pitch fee rises and resale values.

The laws that apply, and the one that doesn't

Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960

A holiday park needs a site licence from the local council, and the licence can carry conditions such as how many caravans the site holds and when it is open. The licence controls the site, not your contract with the park, so it will not settle a dispute about fees. It is still worth knowing, because the council enforces those conditions.

Mobile Homes Act 1983

This is the law people usually mean when they talk about caravan rights, and it does not apply to holiday owners. It covers agreements that let you live on a site as your only or main home. That is where rules like the cap on commission when a park home is sold come from, and none of them extend to a holiday caravan. If you live in a park home, see park home pitch fees and rights. In Wales the Mobile Homes (Wales) Act 2013 now does the same job for residential sites, and it does not cover holiday homes either.

Consumer Rights Act 2015

When you buy a caravan from a park, it has to be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose and as described. Your agreement also has to be fair and written in plain language. A term that causes a significant imbalance against you, contrary to good faith, is unfair, and an unfair term cannot be enforced against you. The rest of the agreement still stands.

Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024

This bans misleading and aggressive commercial practices, and gives Trading Standards and the Competition and Markets Authority stronger powers, including fines and getting money back for consumers.

What Trading Standards says parks should not do

The official Trading Standards guidance for holiday park operators lists practices that may be unfair or unlawful when dealing with owners. Among them:

Giving themselves the power to set the price after you are bound, where no price or method of working it out was agreed.
Harassing owners who challenge a fee increase.
Insisting you use an alternative dispute scheme before you can go to court.
Threatening to end your agreement for something lawful, such as making a formal complaint.
Banning lawful comments on social media.
Unfairly blocking a private sale, or putting a private buyer on worse terms than someone buying from the park.
Charging fees where no service is provided in exchange.
Making you buy materials or use contractors only through the park without good reason, and adding commission on top.

If your park does any of these, write down what happened, keep copies, and quote the guidance when you complain.

Site fee increases

There is no legal limit on how much a holiday site fee can rise. What protects you is the agreement: look for the clause explaining how the annual increase is worked out, for example a link to inflation. A clause that lets the park set the new fee however it likes may be unfair. Our site fee data shows what parks actually charge, which is useful evidence when a rise looks out of line. If you have been through an increase, please tell us what you pay so other owners can compare.

Selling your caravan and commission

The commission cap on park home sales does not apply to holiday caravans, so any commission comes from your agreement. The Ferret has reported owners being offered well under market value by parks, or charged commission of up to 20 per cent to sell privately. Before you buy, ask in writing whether you can sell privately on the pitch, what commission the park takes, and whether a buyer can take over your agreement on the same terms. Our guide to what your caravan is worth covers first refusal and the options when you sell.

Age limits and the end of your agreement

How long your caravan can stay on the pitch is a term of your agreement, not a law. Parks commonly set a maximum caravan age, and when it is reached the caravan has to be replaced or removed. Ask for the length of the pitch licence and any age limit in writing before you buy. Our guide to how long static caravans last explains why the age limit usually matters more than the build quality.

The mis-selling group action

In January 2025 about 1,200 owners in the Holiday Park Action Group began legal action against the parks that sold them their caravans. One claim asks the High Court whether the annual pitch fee increases in owners' contracts are fair and enforceable. Another asks whether parks should have explained before the sale that caravans lose much of their value within a few years. By April 2025 ITV reported that around 2,500 people were pursuing the claims, with test cases to be decided first. The parks involved have said their information to buyers was clear.

Several law firms and claims companies now advertise mis-selling claims. Before signing up, check who you are dealing with: solicitors are regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, and claims management companies must be authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority. Ask what share of any compensation they take.

How to complain, step by step

Complain to the park in writing. Use its formal complaints process, say what you want to happen, and keep copies. Our operator pages link to the big operators' own complaints routes.
Ask about a trade body. If the park belongs to one, such as the BH&HPA or the National Caravan Council, ask whether it handles owner complaints.
Get free advice. The Citizens Advice consumer helpline can advise you and pass the matter to Trading Standards.
Consider the small claims court for money you are owed. You can start a claim online in England and Wales.
Speak to a solicitor if a lot of money is involved, your agreement is being ended, or several owners on your park have the same problem.

When it is worth speaking to a solicitor

The park is ending your agreement or making you remove the caravan.
A fee rise or charge runs into thousands of pounds.
You think you were misled about fees, resale value or the age limit when you bought.
A group of owners on your park wants to act together.

Common questions

Does the Mobile Homes Act 1983 cover static holiday caravans?

No. The Mobile Homes Act 1983 protects people whose agreement lets them live on a site as their only or main home, which means residential park homes. A holiday caravan on a holiday park is not covered, so the Act's protections on pitch fees, selling and security of tenure do not apply to it. Your rights come from consumer law and the terms of your agreement.

Can a holiday park put site fees up as much as it likes?

There is no legal cap on holiday site fees. But Trading Standards guidance says a term that lets a park set the price after you are bound by the agreement, with no agreed price or method for working it out, may be unfair, and an unfair term cannot be enforced against you. Check how your agreement says increases are calculated. Whether annual increases are fair is also the subject of a group legal action by owners.

Can a park stop me selling my static caravan privately?

Your agreement will usually set conditions and may allow the park to charge commission. Trading Standards guidance lists unfairly blocking private sales, putting the buyer of a private sale on worse terms than a buyer from the park, and charging fees where no service is provided as practices that may be unfair.

How do I complain about a holiday park?

Complain in writing to the park using its formal complaints process and keep copies of everything. If that fails, ask whether the park belongs to a trade body that handles owner complaints, contact the Citizens Advice consumer helpline (which can refer the matter to Trading Standards), and consider the small claims court for money you are owed. For larger or complex disputes, speak to a solicitor.

Were static caravans mis-sold?

That is being tested in court. In January 2025 about 1,200 owners in the Holiday Park Action Group began legal action over pitch fee increases and claims about resale value, and by April 2025 ITV reported around 2,500 people pursuing the claims. Until the courts rule, whether any individual sale was mis-sold depends on what you were told and what your agreement says.

Help other owners. The more real fees, age limits and commission rates we hold, the harder it is for anyone to be caught out. Report what your park charges. It takes a minute and there is no account.

Sources

This is general information about the law in Great Britain, checked on 23 September 2026. It is not legal advice. Site Fees is not a law firm and has no connection with any claims company.