The Mobile Homes Act 1983: Your Rights as a Park Home Owner

The Mobile Homes Act 1983 protects many people who own and live in a residential park home in England. If you are considering downsizing in Warfield, Bracknell or elsewhere in Berkshire, understanding these rights helps you look beyond the bungalow itself and check the agreement that comes with it.

The Act uses the legal terminology reflected in its title for properties commonly sold as park homes. This guide uses the everyday term park home. It explains the main protections in plain English, but is general information rather than legal advice about a particular purchase or dispute.

What the Mobile Homes Act 1983 protects

The Act generally applies when you own your park home and occupy it as your only or main residence on a legally protected site. Holiday accommodation does not have the same protection. Renting a park home from someone else is also different from owning one and paying to occupy its pitch.

A pitch is the plot on which your home stands. You normally own the home itself, but not the land beneath it. Your agreement with the park owner gives you the right to station the home there and occupy it, subject to its lawful terms.

Residential status matters more than appearances. Gates, attractive gardens or year-round opening do not establish that a site has permission for permanent residential occupation. Check the planning position, site licence and agreement together. A residential site licence is separate from your individual agreement and places conditions on how the site operates.

Your Written Statement: the document to understand first

The Mobile Homes Act 1983 requires a Written Statement setting out the agreement between the resident and the park owner. It is not simply a brochure or a receipt for your purchase.

It should identify the parties and pitch, explain the charges and contain the terms governing occupation. These include implied terms, which are rights and obligations supplied by law, and express terms, which are the additional terms written into your agreement. Express terms cannot simply remove statutory protections.

For a new agreement, the Written Statement must normally be supplied at least 28 days before the relevant agreement is made. A shorter period can be agreed in writing. Buying from an existing resident involves transferring their agreement and separate requirements for the seller to provide information.

Before proceeding, check:

• Who holds the agreement: Make sure names, the pitch description and any plan are correct.
• What you must pay: Identify the pitch fee, its review date and any separately charged services.
• Which rules apply: Read the rules on matters such as age, pets, parking and use of the home.
• Who maintains what: Understand the division between your responsibilities and those of the park owner.

Keep the Written Statement, park rules and purchase documents together. Ask a solicitor familiar with park home law to explain anything unclear before you commit.

Security of tenure: protection against being made to leave

Security of tenure means your right to remain is protected by law. An agreement covered by the Act is not simply a yearly booking that the park owner can choose not to renew.

Under the Mobile Homes Act 1983, a park owner cannot end your occupation merely because they would prefer a different resident or want to resell your pitch. Termination must follow the legal process and requires a court order on an applicable statutory ground.

One possible ground concerns a breach of the agreement that has not been remedied after the required notice, where the court considers termination reasonable. Other statutory grounds exist, so security of tenure should not be understood as an unconditional right to remain regardless of circumstances.

For someone leaving a long-held family home in Ascot or Windsor, this distinction is reassuring: occupation rests on legal rights, not just a verbal promise. If you receive a notice threatening termination, seek specialist advice promptly rather than assuming it is valid or ignoring it.

Pitch fee reviews: an increase must follow the rules

The pitch fee is the payment for the right to station your home on the pitch and for relevant services covered by the agreement. It is distinct from the purchase price and may be separate from utility charges.

A pitch fee is normally reviewed annually on the agreed review date. The park owner must give at least 28 days’ written notice of a proposed change and use the prescribed form. A proposal is not automatically binding simply because it arrives in the post.

In England, the review framework uses the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) rather than the Retail Prices Index, following changes introduced in 2023. CPI is an inflation measure. It is not a blanket permission to add any amount: the statutory review rules also address matters such as qualifying improvements and deterioration in the site’s condition.

The Mobile Homes Act 1983 provides a route to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) if the proposed fee cannot be agreed. This is the specialist tribunal that handles many park home disputes. Continue paying the existing fee while an unresolved proposed increase is being dealt with, and get advice about the procedure and deadlines.

For Berkshire downsizers budgeting for retirement, the useful questions are what the fee covers, when it is reviewed and how the review is calculated. Do not rely on an assurance that it will never change.

Selling or gifting your park home

Selling to a new owner

You generally have the right to sell your park home on the open market and transfer, or assign, the agreement to the buyer. You do not have to use the park owner as your selling agent.

The buyer must meet applicable lawful park rules. The process can differ depending on when the agreement began, with additional notification and objection procedures applying to some older agreements. Follow the official forms and guidance rather than relying on an informal arrangement.

On a resale, the park owner can receive commission of up to 10% of the sale price. The buyer normally pays this to the park owner and pays the balance to the seller. This statutory commission is different from an estate agent’s fee and should be allowed for when calculating what a future sale would leave you with.

Gifting to a family member

The Mobile Homes Act 1983 also allows an owner to gift their home and transfer the agreement to a qualifying family member, subject to the statutory process. This is not the same as giving it to any person you choose.

A genuine qualifying family gift normally does not attract sale commission. Eligibility, evidence and the required paperwork still matter. If you are planning a gift as part of retirement or inheritance arrangements, obtain advice before transferring ownership.

The park owner’s obligations

Your responsibilities are only one side of the agreement. The park owner also has statutory duties, including obligations concerning the pitch base, shared areas and services they supply.

These include maintaining communal parts of the site, such as relevant roads and pathways, and carrying out required repairs to the base on which the home stands. The precise responsibilities should be checked against the statutory terms and your agreement. Routine maintenance of your home is generally your responsibility.

The owner must also follow the rules governing access to your pitch. They do not have an unrestricted right to enter whenever they wish. Notice and access requirements depend on the purpose of entry, with different provisions for emergencies.

The Mobile Homes Act 1983 should therefore be read as a set of obligations for both parties. If something is not being maintained, record the problem, retain correspondence and raise it in writing. Photographs and dates can help explain a dispute without turning it into a disagreement about recollections.

Site licence conditions are a separate matter. Concerns about compliance with those conditions can be raised with the relevant local council.

Where to find reliable guidance

Start with GOV.UK’s guidance on park home rights and responsibilities. It explains buying, selling, pitch fees and disputes, with links to relevant documents and procedures. The LEASE park homes advice service provides specialist guidance on the legal framework.

When an issue involves your own agreement, a solicitor experienced in park home law can advise on the facts. Pay particular attention to deadlines if you receive a proposed fee increase, sale objection or termination notice.

If an adult child is helping with online research, separate marketing from legal advice. Services offering AI operations for marketing agencies support commercial workflows, not the interpretation of residential agreements. Check online summaries, including this guide, against official guidance and your paperwork.

The Mobile Homes Act 1983 has been amended since its original introduction. Use current guidance for England rather than an old article, a holiday accommodation guide or information about a different UK nation.

What this means when buying at Hermitage Park

Hermitage Park sells luxury park home bungalows for permanent, 12-month residential use under a Written Statement. It is a private gated over-45s residential estate in Warfield, Berkshire, between Warfield and Winkfield Row.

For buyers moving from Maidenhead, Windsor or the surrounding area, the practical step is to review the Written Statement alongside the luxury park home bungalows. Confirm that you understand the occupation terms, ongoing charges and estate rules before proceeding. The Hermitage Park frequently asked questions provide a useful starting point for questions about buying and living there.

An appointment also lets you assess everyday life locally, from woodland walks to journeys into Bracknell. Bracknell station has direct trains to London Waterloo. Those lifestyle details matter, but they sit alongside, rather than replace, understanding your legal agreement.

Frequently asked questions

Does year-round opening prove that a site is residential? No. Check planning permission, the site licence and your agreement. A site being open all year does not, by itself, establish the right to use a home as your permanent residence.

Can the park owner make me sell my home back to them? You generally have the right to sell on the open market and assign your agreement, following the statutory process. You do not have to accept the park owner as your buyer or selling agent.

Does inheriting a park home automatically mean I can live there? No. Succession rights depend on the circumstances, including who was living with the owner. Inheriting ownership and having the right to occupy are not always the same thing. Seek advice before making assumptions.

Is the Written Statement the same as owning the land? No. It records your occupation agreement and associated rights. Owning the park home does not normally mean owning its pitch.

Take time to review the paperwork and the setting

Understanding your rights makes it easier to ask clear questions before a move. If you are considering downsizing in Berkshire, explore the luxury park home bungalows for sale at Hermitage Park and book an appointment-only viewing to see the setting and discuss the buying process.