Residential site licences and rules

Residential mobile homes sites, and sites with a mix of residential and holiday mobile homes, must have a residential site licence.

  • It is a criminal offence to operate a site without a licence.
  • You will need planning permission before you can get a licence.
  • You must also pay business rates.
  • Having planning permission and paying business rates does not legally allow you to occupy the site - you must also have a licence.
  • The amount you pay will depend on the number of caravans on your site.

You don’t need a licence if your site is for forestry workers, builders, travelling showmen or seasonal workers (like fruit pickers) who stay in caravans on a site which are removed at the end of the season. A residential site licence is required if the caravans remain on site permanently.

If your site is a holiday caravan/camp/touring site (where no one lives permanently and no caravans remain on site permanently, you will need a holiday caravan/camp/touring site licence.

It is a criminal offence to occupy a site without a licence. You may be fined up to £2,500 if you don’t get a licence or break any of your licence conditions. Your licence may also be withdrawn if you repeatedly break your licence conditions.

For residents selling or buying a residential mobile home, rules are in place. To find out more, visit the government website (gov.uk)