A park home move differs from an ordinary house purchase because the buyer gets the home but not the land under it. This article summarises the GOV.UK factsheet “Buying a park home”, first published on 19 July 2013, and GOV.UK’s separate guide to park (mobile) homes. The factsheet says it applies to England, covers homes on protected sites, does not apply to local authority traveller sites, and is not a full or definitive statement of the law. It strongly advises buyers to take advice from a solicitor or other professional who is independent of the seller and the site owner. This is general information, not legal advice.
Before you commit: what is being bought
The factsheet says a buyer is buying the home but not the pitch, which stays in the site owner’s ownership. The buyer pays a pitch fee for occupying the pitch, may be charged separately for water, gas and electricity supplied by the site owner, and pays council tax to the local authority. The pitch agreement is protected by the Mobile Homes Act 1983. The GOV.UK park homes guide describes a protected site as a park with planning permission for residents to live there throughout the year, and says a holiday park is not one.
The factsheet adds that an Energy Performance Certificate is not required, that a survey or a look at any warranty is optional, and that most park homes will fall in value over time. It also sets out three routes, depending on who is selling: a resident who acquired their home before 26 May 2013, a resident who acquired it on or after that date, or the site owner.
The 28-day window
When buying from a resident, the seller must supply prescribed information and documents on a “Buyer’s information form” at least 28 days before the completion date. A buyer who is happy to complete sooner must confirm that in writing to the seller. If anything is missing, the seller must say what and explain why. When buying from the site owner, a written statement setting out the terms of the proposed pitch agreement must be given 28 days before the buyer enters into the contract to buy or signs the pitch agreement. The factsheet says the buyer can agree in writing to receive it later, but the site owner cannot require that.
The site owner’s 21 days (sales by earlier residents)
For a seller who acquired their home before 26 May 2013, buyer and seller complete a “Notice of proposed sale form”. The site owner then has 21 days to decide whether to object, and an objection must take the form of an application to the First Tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) within those 21 days. The factsheet lists three grounds only: the buyer, or someone living with them, would breach an existing site rule on age, prohibited animals or prohibited or excess vehicles. If the site owner does nothing in 21 days, the sale may go ahead.
The factsheet’s section for sellers who acquired their home on or after 26 May 2013 lists no such notice. It says the site owner is not entitled to personal or financial details about the buyer until the purchase is completed and the Notice of assignment form is sent.
Completion day: the 90% and the 10%
The factsheet says the buyer pays the seller 90% of the sale price on completion and holds the remaining 10% as the site owner’s commission. The GOV.UK park homes guide puts the park owner’s share at up to 10% of the selling price, so the two pages word the figure differently. The Assignment form records the agreed price, the commission and the pitch fee. The transfer of the pitch agreement is called an assignment, and the factsheet says the site owner’s consent is not needed for it.
After the keys: seven days and seven days
- Within 7 days of the assignment, the buyer must send the site owner a Notice of assignment form with the documents it lists.
- The commission is not due until the site owner supplies bank details; the buyer then has 7 days to pay.
- No VAT is due on the commission, and the site owner is not entitled to any other payment in relation to the sale.
For other jobs after a move, see the change-of-address checklist and the guide to water bills and meter readings.
What a site owner may not do
The factsheet says certain site rules made before 26 May 2013 have been banned, including rules requiring a buyer to meet the site owner, rules giving the owner first refusal, rules barring estate agents or solicitors, and rules banning sale boards. It states that it is a criminal offence for a site owner, or anyone acting for them, to interfere with the peace or comfort of a home to put off a sale, to withhold services such as water or electricity, or to make false or misleading statements. Conviction can bring an unlimited fine or imprisonment. Buyers who believe an offence is happening should tell the seller and report it to the local authority, and report threats or intimidation to the police.
Running costs that continue
The GOV.UK park homes guide says the park owner can propose a pitch fee change once a year with 28 days’ written notice, and either side can ask a tribunal to decide it. Ofgem sets what the park owner may charge for gas and electricity, which cannot exceed what the owner paid; water charges are limited to the water company’s charge plus a reasonable administration fee; LPG charges are not regulated.
The bottom line
For England, the GOV.UK factsheet sets out fixed periods: information supplied at least 28 days before completion, a 21-day objection period for sales by residents who acquired their home before 26 May 2013, and 7 days after the assignment to send the Notice of assignment form. Once the site owner supplies bank details, the buyer has 7 days to pay the commission. The factsheet strongly advises independent professional advice and says it is essential to keep the pitch agreement, written statement and site rules.
Sources
- Buying a park home: factsheet, Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government, published 19 July 2013 (gov.uk)
- Park (mobile) homes: your rights and obligations, GOV.UK guide, read 25 October 2026 (gov.uk)