Though living in one of our residential park homes may feel like a holiday, the fact is that laws still apply much as they would anywhere else.
When living in a traditional house, you have rules you must adhere to as a homeowner, and this is exactly the same for owners of residential park homes. Whether you spend two or 12 months in your residential park home, site laws and national laws will apply to you.
So, what do you know about residential park homes and the law? If you decide that your knowledge on the subject is limited, then Allens Caravans is here to walk you through your rights.
As a resident of a residential park home site, you are obligated to carry out maintenance on your home to comply with the park guidelines. For example, you are required to repair your home when necessary and keep the outside of your home and pitch tidy and clean. This includes any outbuildings or fences that occupy your pitch.
The Mobile Homes Act 2013
The Mobile Homes Act of 2013 came into play on 26 May 2013; this bill details every right of a mobile home owner and the laws that they must adhere to. Ultimately, the law gives more rights to people living in their own homes on protected sites. The key changes that this law implemented mean that it’s easier for park home owners to sell their homes on the open market. Previous to this law, these homeowners often had to deal with interference from the owner of the park where their home is based.
Pitch Fees
In order to rent the land where your park home is situated, you must first pay a pitch fee to the site owner. Under the Mobile Homes Act of 2013, new rules have been established about how pitch fees are reviewed and what can be included within said review.
If a site owner wishes to adjust their fees, they must first go through notices and forms. A proposal for fee change can only occur once a year and the park home owner must be given 28 days’ notice in writing. This will be detailed in a form that will explain the process and your rights. Ahead of changing the fees, the park home owner must agree or go to a tribunal. If an agreement can’t be reached and a tribunal is held, the park home owner will continue to pay their current fee until the tribunal reaches a decision.
Selling or Gifting Your Home
Previous to the Mobile Homes Act of 2013, residential park site owners had influence over who you could gift or sell your home to. Due to this, many park home residents found that they were unable to sell their homes for their real value. However, under the new law, the site owner’s approval doesn’t need to be sought when selling or gifting a park home.
Though the site owner doesn’t have influence over who a park home owner sells to, they still hold the right to evict anyone who doesn’t adhere to the individual site rules. With this being said, they can’t evict you in the absence of a court order, harass you into giving up your home, or prevent you from exercising your rights.
Additionally, site owners aren’t allowed to circulate misleading or false information that would hinder your sale. They can’t impose rules that force you into telling them that you want to sell your home or insist that their agreement is required for the sale to go ahead. Similarly, they’re not allowed to insist on approving your buyer or interfere with your right to sell.
You’re not required to provide the site owner with contact details or references for your buyer, and no contact or interviews have to be carried out between the buyer and site owner. Furthermore, site owners are unable to prevent you from using a solicitor or estate agent to sell your home. Finally, they can’t force you or your buyer to fill out a survey.
Please note, park operators cannot get involved in the process of a private sale. It is the seller's responsibility to ensure that the new occupier fulfills the park's criteria.
Site Rules
Though all residential park home sites will have their own individual rules, anything that interferes with the policies of the Mobile Homes Act of 2013 must be changed.
Local Authority Licensing
As of 1 April 2014, local authorities will be permitted to charge for licensing, require site owners to execute necessary works, and prosecute anyone who fails to comply. There will be no limit to the number of fines that can be imposed upon those who don’t comply with the local authority. This will help guarantee that sites are in compliance with their agreed licence.
Buy a Residential Park Home
If the notion of living in a residential park home interests you, then please get in touchwith a member of our team. We’re on hand to answer any queries you may have and arrange a viewing to suit you.
