FAQs

When it comes to permanent residence within a static caravan, it’s a little bit of a minefield. There are several rules, laws and regulations that come into play if you’re looking to live in a static caravan, which changes dependant on the park owner and council it is situated in.

There are two types of sites, holiday sites and residential sites. You’re not legally allowed to have a permanent place of residence within a holiday site and park owners may ensure that this doesn’t happen. However, you can live on a residential site all year round. You will still be required to pay council tax and a yearly bill for the ground your static caravan is on that goes to the park owner.

There are lots of other regulations which may or may not apply such as the insulation and fittings of the specific static caravan you’re looking to live in. We recommend checking with the park owner and the local council to ensure that you’re doing everything correctly.

Thinking of purchasing a static caravan but not sure about any static caravan fees you may incur? Owning a static caravan is generally more expensive than people initially think with a few extra costs you may not have expected.

Other than the cost of the static caravan itself, you can expect a yearly pitch fee, that is a fee to have your static caravan in a resort or park, of around £3000. Then there’s water which can cost £250 per year, gas and electricity for an average of £300 each year and finally insurance of around £200 - £300 per year.

This can bring the total cost of owning a static caravan to upwards of £4000 to £5000 each year when you include costs such as maintenance and repair. You can find out more on this topic on MoneyMagpie here. Or if you’re ready to jump in, see our static caravans for sale here.

This depends on a few main criteria. In most cases, as a static caravan is not a permanent structure, planning permission is not required. However, this depends on factors such as where you will be situated, how long the static caravan is going to be there and what you plan on using it for.

Generally, if you plan on living in a static caravan planning permission will be required or if it isn’t going to be situated on your own private land planning permission will be required. However, if you’re staying in a static caravan for a short period of time on your own private land for reasons such as home building or renovation, planning permission may not be required.

As with all these legal and regulation based questions, we always recommend contacting your local council to gain clarity in regards to what you can and can’t do with your static caravan. This is because rules can change from county to county; you can find your local council here.

The size of static caravans can vary greatly from small regular static caravans to large twin units which are split into two and joined together at the final site.

In general static caravans range from 20' x 10' up to 40' x 12' (6m x 3m up to 12.2m x 3.7m.) We make sure to list the exact size of our static caravans for sale to make sure you can find the size you are looking for.

With one of the largest fleets in Europe, we’ll be able to move your static caravan anywhere in the UK and Europe no matter the size. You can find out more about our transport service here.

It’s important to know your rights and the details of the contract you sign when you choose a resort or park as this can help protect you from issues in the future. Rules and regulations are up to the owner of the resort so there can be plenty of discrepancy between different locations, so make sure to read the contract carefully.

If you believe you have been missold a static caravan or land within a resort, you have a few options. Firstly, take a look through your contract and look for anything which could be considered vague, misleading, unfair or missing - this could help you make a case. Of course, you should contact appropriate services to help you with this process. We would recommend contacting the Citizens Advice Bureau who will look at your case and advise you on what to do next.

There are two types of resorts when it comes to static caravans. These are holiday parks and residential parks. Holiday parks are purely for short stays and therefore council tax is not required, however, residential parks are intended to be a place of permanent residence and therefore you are required to pay council tax.

It’s pretty simple if you live there, council tax is required, if you’re there for a short period of time and have another place of residence which you do pay council tax for; there’s no need to pay council tax.

You can find out more information regarding the fees for owning a static caravan in our FAQ relating to the question, or from MoneyMagpie here who go into much greater detail.