Mobile Homes
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January 1998
New Charter for Park Home Owners
The British Holiday and Home Parks Association and the National Park Homes Council announced their forthcoming publication of a new Charter, setting out in plain and straightforward language what services park operators are expected to provide, as well as the rights and responsibilities of both operators and residents. The Charter was also to offer information on legal aspects of living on mobile home parks, including security of tenure, written agreements and the grounds for bringing agreements to an end.
Some 250,000 people live in park homes (mobile homes), as their main or only residence, on approximately 2,000 licensed sites in Britain. Most sites are run by members of the two trade associations involved in publishing the Charter. Residents are entitled to a written statement setting out the terms and conditions of their agreement with their park owners (Mobile Homes Act 1983).
DoE research published in 1996 concluded that the 1994 Park Home Owners' Charter could be improved - to make its status and purpose clearer and to include more information on residents' legal rights. It also recommended improvements in the way the Charter was enforced by the associations.
In a parallel move, Housing Minister Hilary Armstrong announced the setting up of a working group to consider some of the problems faced by people living in park homes, such as security of tenure, pitch fees, sales commissions and health and safety issues. The group's brief was to examine how existing legislation can be made to work more effectively and look at the scope for promoting and encouraging good practice among park owners and local authorities. It was also to examine whether existing legislation should be amended.
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