When looking at renting or buying a mobile home on a site, you should take account of the same factors as you would when looking at a traditional home, for example, cost, location, and safety. The page on ‘things to consider‘ has other examples.

There are also other, more specific, factors you should consider when looking to buy or rent a mobile home:

A protected site has planning permission and a site licence from the council. In order to receive a site licence, the mobile home site or park must reach certain standards. Find out more about standards and condtitions on protected sites and site licences on the page about mobile home sites and conditions. Mobile home residents who live on a protected site have many more rights than residents who live on an unprotected site, including more protection from eviction.

Before moving in, ask to see a copy of the site licence. Check that the site is licensed for residential use, not just as a holiday site, and that it conforms to the standards set out in the site licence.

Visit the site and check the following:

• Are there adequate fire safety precautions in place?
• Are the mobile homes spaced sufficiently apart?
• Is there an adequate supply of electricity, gas, water and sewerage facilities? You could ask other residents about this.

You could also contact the council and ask if there have been any problems with the site licence. The environmental health department will usually hold the licence.

It’s important to find out whether the site owner actually owns the land the site is based on, or whether they lease it from someone else. If they lease it, ask how long their lease will last. When their lease ends, your right to stay on the pitch will end as well. This means that if, for example, the lease is for five years, you may have to leave the site at the end of those five years.

Find out if the site owner is a member of the British Holiday & Home Parks Association (BH&HPA) or the National Caravan Council. All BH&HPA and NCC members must agree to abide by the Park Home Owners’ Charter, which lays down the rights and responsibilities for site owners and park residents. Generally, this means that the park is more likely to be well maintained and you are more likely to receive a high standard of service.

LEASE has information about site obligations and rights.

Park home site owners may also be registered with a scheme such as the Gold Shield Ten Year Warranty, which will ensure that all the homes in their park conform to British safety standards.

Before you move in, ask the site owner about the cost involved.

• How much is the rent for the mobile home?
• Will you have to pay a deposit?
• How much are the pitch fees and how much have they gone up over the past few years?
• What are the service charges (for example, the supply of electricity, gas, water and sewerage) and how are they calculated?

Talk to other people who live on the site to get their opinion. Mobile home parks are small communities: can you see yourself fitting in?

Ask the site owner if you can see a copy of the agreement you’ll have to sign and a copy of the site rules. Read this carefully before making any decisions.

• Does the agreement include a plan of the site?
• Is your pitch clearly marked?
• What services are supplied and how much will you pay for them?
• Are there any rules you think are unfair, for example concerning guests or pets?
• Can the site owner change the rules without consulting you?

We are sorry that we cannot provide this information in Welsh, however if you would like to speak to an adviser in Welsh please contact 08000 495 495.