There is a wealth of information on the Directgov website including:

• Boat mooring - practical advice and help for living onboard a boat
• Buying a park home - how to find a park home, the costs involved and what to look out for before you buy in a mobile home park
• Owning a park home - your rights and obligations
• Your written statement – what it is, what your rights and obligations are and how to get advice on settling a dispute
• Selling your park home - steps to take for selling your park home and information on getting your buyer approved
• Renting a park home - tips on renting a park home and what to do if you need help paying your rent or your landlord asks you to leave
• Park homes - paying for the land you use
• Pitch fees - what they cover and the process for increasing them
• Park homes - repairs, improvements and utilities - find out about the repairs and services you are entitled to on a mobile home park and how your utilities charges are set
• Park homes - setting up a qualifying residents association - qualifying residents associations – what they are and how to set one up
• Gypsy and Traveller sites- information and advice about accommodation for gypsies and travellers

Consumer Focus are launching a report in the Autumn of 2012 looking into the issues faced by Park Homes Residents.

For further information on how you can become involved please visit the Consumer Focus Website

The Government recently announced consultation on Park (mobile) Homes issues, some of which relate to local authorities licensing duties. Other proposals offer greater safeguards to residents. The consultation is called;

A Better Deal for Mobile Home Owners – Consultation

This consultation proposes a number of reforms to the mobile homes sector.

The proposed changes include:

1. Changes to the enforcement of site licence conditions and powers of the courts to impose unlimited fines on operators who do not manage their sites properly.
2. Allowing local authorities to make a reasonable charge on site operators for their licensing services, which they are currently unable to do.
3. Giving local authorities the power to carry out works on sites in an emergency or where the site operator has been found guilty of a breach of the licence, and charge the cost back to them.
4. Strengthening the rules around the sale of mobile homes; and
5. Changing legislation to improve other residents' rights to reflect their status as home owners by, for example, allowing them to carry out home improvements without seeking permission.

The consultation is open until 28th May 2012 and can be accessed from the following link to the Communities and Local Government website:http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/housing/mobilehomeowners


Any responses to the consultation should be made directly to the Government to the address contained within the consultation document.