Access
Your caravan park owner/manager must allow you:
- 24-hour vehicle access to your site
- 24-hour access to the park and the communal bathroom and toilet facilities
- access during ‘reasonable’ hours to recreational areas, laundry and other communal facilities
Caravan park owners can charge you a reasonable fee for a key or device that allows your car and caravan to get to your site.
Electricity, gas, water and sewerage
You do not have to pay for electricity, gas, water and sewerage unless your site is separately metered (a separate meter is one that measures the usage at your site only). If your site is not separately metered, the park owner/manager is responsible for payment.
If you believe you have paid for services for which the park owner/manager was responsible, they may be required to repay you. Contact us for advice.
Maintenance and repairs
You are responsible for keeping your caravan and your site clean and tidy. Also, you must not install any fixtures or structures (such as an annexe) without the park owner/manager’s written consent.
The park owner/manager is responsible for maintaining both the caravan park and any caravans in the park belonging to them. The caravan owner is responsible for maintaining your caravan. If repairs are needed, the steps you need to follow depend on whether the repair is urgent or non-urgent.
Urgent repairs
The following problems are considered urgent:
- a burst water service
- a blocked or broken toilet
- a serious roof leak
- a gas leak
- a dangerous electrical fault
- flooding or serious flood damage
- serious storm or fire damage
- a breakdown of essential water, hot water, cooking, heating or laundering services
- a breakdown of gas, electricity or water supply
- a breakdown in water appliances supplied by the owner/manager that will lead to a substantial amount of water being wasted
- any fault or damage that makes the caravan unsafe or not secure
If you have one of the above problems your first step is to ask the park or caravan owner to fix it.
If they cannot be contacted or they don’t fix the problem within 24 hours, contact us for advice.
Non-urgent repairs
If the problem is non-urgent, send your park or caravan owner a Notice to owner of caravan or caravan park. This gives your park or caravan owner 14 days to fix the problem. If the problem is not fixed within 14 days, contact us for advice.
Do not use your rent money to pay for repairs. You must keep paying rent as usual or you could end up in rent arrears, which could lead to eviction.
Park rules
The park owner/manager must give you a copy of the park rules at the beginning of your residency. It is their responsibility to make sure that park rules apply to all residents, not just some.
The park owner/manager can change the rules, but they must give you 7 days written notice of any change. The notice must also be on the correct form.
If you think any of the rules are unfair, you can apply to the Tribunal to have them removed. You should obey the park rules until the Tribunal makes its decision.
‘Quiet enjoyment’
Caravan park owners/managers must avoid disturbing your peace and quiet. For example, they can’t mow the lawns at 6 o’clock in the morning.
At the same time, residents and visitors to the caravan park must not act in a manner that disturbs the peace and quiet of other residents or their visitors.
Privacy
Caravan park owners/managers should respect your privacy. However, it is legal for them to enter your caravan or site if:
- you are due to move out and they need to show the caravan or site to a new resident
- the caravan is due to be sold or valued and they need to show it to a buyer or lender
- they need to carry out repairs
- they believe you are using the caravan for an illegal purpose
The park owner/manager must give you 24 hours written notice of their intention to enter your site or caravan. The Notice of Entry must be delivered by post or given to you in person between 8am and 6pm (they can’t just slip it under the door).
Unless they have a ‘reasonable excuse’ that comes under the Residential Tenancies Act 1997, the owner/manager can only enter your caravan or site with a Notice of Entry or when you have given your agreement.
Entry is only allowed between 8am and 6pm and not on public holidays. If the park owner/manager acts improperly or damages any of your property, you may be able to apply to the Tribunal for compensation.
If you believe your privacy is not being respected you should contact us for advice.
Breach of Duty Notices
If the park owner/manager interferes with your rights as a resident, you can serve them with a Breach of Duty Notice. Likewise, if you ignore your responsibilities as a resident, the same notice can be served on you. If you receive a Breach of Duty Notice or you want to serve a notice on the park owner/manager, contact us for advice
Rent arrears
If you owe 7 or more day’s rent or hiring charge, your park or caravan owner can give you a 7-day Notice to Vacate. The notice must allow you 7 or more days to pay the rent arrears. If you don’t pay by this date, the park or caravan owner can apply to the Tribunal for a Possession Order. If the Possession Order is given, you can be evicted.
It is illegal for the park or caravan owner to take or dispose of your property because you are behind in payments.
It is illegal for the park or caravan owner to personally evict you. Only the police can evict you, and even then they must be acting on a Possession Order and a Warrant of Possession from the Tribunal.
Rent and hiring charge increases
Park and caravan owners can only increase the rent or hiring charge once every 6 months and they must give you 60 days written notice. The notice must be in the correct form or it is not valid.
If you think the increase is unfair or invalid, contact us for advice as soon as possible.
Extra services
If services at your caravan park have been reduced without any reduction in your rent or hiring charge, you may be able to apply to the Tribunal for compensation and/or a reduction in your rent or hiring charge. Contact us for advice.
Rent and hiring charges for visitors
The owner/manager can charge you extra rent or hiring charges for visitors staying with you. If you think this amount is unfair, you can apply to the Tribunal to challenge the extra fee. Contact us for advice.