Living in a park home is similar to living in a traditional brick-and-mortar home, but there are a number of significant and important differences to be aware of.
The Leasehold Advisory Service provides government funded, independent advice for park home residents. For further information, including how to book a free phone call for independent advice, visit the Lease Park Homes website.
On this page you’ll also find answers to the most frequently asked questions on mobile homes.
Note – you should always seek independent advice from a solicitor before proceeding with a park home transaction.
Portsmouth City Council own and manage two mobile home parks in Portsmouth:
Park homes are not available to rent. All residents own their home and pay pitch fees for the plot it sits on, and all sales are marketed by the seller.
We recommend registering your interest in mobile homes by:
Please note that we do not have awareness, or keep a list of mobile homes for sale.
We do not have any empty or spare plots available. All sales are marketed by the seller on the open market, and we do not have awareness or keep a list of mobile homes for sale.
We recommend registering your interest in mobile homes by:
If you’re selling a mobile home on a residential park, there are two transactions that happen at the same time:
On 26 May 2013, the Government introduced a new procedure that must be followed whenever a used residential park home is bought or sold on a site in England.
One effect of this is that both buyers and sellers of park homes now have much more responsibility to ensure that the transaction is completed properly. If any mistakes are made, this could lead to the assignment of the agreement being unlawful and result in costly disputes between the two parties.
Portsmouth City Council does not lead on the sales process and are unable to accept any responsibility if the correct process is not followed by the buyer or seller.
View the written statement and site rules for Cliffdale Gardens and Henderson Park.
Find out more information from the Leasehold Advisory Service.
Unlike a brick-and-mortar home, you cannot get a mortgage on a mobile home. This is because the land they stand on is owned by the site owner, not the residents.
When you live on a residential site, part of the obligation you take on involves agreeing to comply with the site owner’s site rules.
Every mobile home site has its own rules. For example, Portsmouth City Council have rules on making changes to the plot or keeping pets etc. The site rules form part of the express terms of the agreement.
Before choosing a site, you should review the rules carefully to ensure you choose a site where you’re able to easily abide by the rules.
View the written statement and site rules for Cliffdale Gardens and Henderson Park.
When you purchase a pre-owned home from someone living on a site, their written statement is assigned to you at the time of sale. As the express terms were already agreed between the previous owner and the site owner, you are not able to challenge the agreement or site rules.
If you live on a residential site, you have the right to keep your home indefinitely on the site, or for as long as the site owner’s planning permission or right to the land lasts. If there is a time limit, the site owner must put this in the written statement.
Under the implied terms, a resident can bring the agreement to an end at any point by giving four weeks’ notice.
The site owner can only bring the agreement to an end by applying to the court on any of the following grounds:
A mobile home and the pitch it sits on will require maintenance just like a brick-and-mortar property. You will need to keep the home and pitch in a good state of repair as a condition of living in the home.
Unlike traditional homes, mobile homes are typically constructed using marine plywood rather than bricks-and-mortar, which means their exterior walls require different treatment.
It’s important that you catch and deal with any problems as quickly as you can. This should include periodic inspections and maintenance of the chassis. If you keep on top of the maintenance of your park home, you will help to ensure that it remains weatherproof throughout its lifetime.
Portsmouth City Council are unable to recommend contractors. We suggest you consult trading standards’ Buy with Confidence scheme, and always ensure the work completed complies with BS:3632.
If you’re buying a second-hand mobile home, we recommend commissioning a survey before you buy to identify any repair or structural issues.
While the mobile homes management team do not offer any grants or loans, there may be other schemes available.
For energy efficiency schemes, please see Switched on Portsmouth.
If you require adaptations to your home, you may qualify for a disabled facilities grant.
At the end of a home’s lifespan, you may decide you want to replace it with a new home. Please be aware that there is a specific permission process that must be followed, and the process can sometimes be lengthy. We recommend you consider whether you can make alternative living arrangements if there are delays.
Although residents of mobile homes own the home itself, residents are liable to pay pitch fees to the site owner for use of the plot. The pitch fee is reviewed annually.
Legislation allows site owners to charge up to 10% commission on mobile home sales. Portsmouth City Council have made the discretional decision not to collect the sales commission on the sale mobile homes at Cliffdale Gardens or Henderson Park.
The current pitch fees for Henderson Park and Cliffdale Gardens are:
These are reviewed annually.
Rubbish and recycling at both Cliffdale Gardens and Henderson Park is collected by Portsmouth City Council’s waste management team, not the park homes management team.
For information on waste management, including collection dates, how to report a missed collection, and how to order a new bin, visit the recycling and rubbish section of the website.
