Eviction from a site: Gypsy and Traveller communities
Your rights depend on if you are facing eviction from:
a permanent or transit site
an unauthorised encampment
your own land
You can ask the council for help even if it's the council evicting you. They can give you advice on your housing options and could give practical help.
You count as homeless if you have nowhere to legally park your home and live in it.
Permanent sites
Permanent sites can be owned by the council or a private site owner.
You can only be evicted from a permanent site if:
You broke a term of your pitch licence.
The site owner gave you notice of this and a reasonable time to put things right.
A court decides it is reasonable to make an eviction order.
There is a possession hearing where the court listens to both sides. You can go to the hearing with a solicitor or legal representative.
Reasons you could face eviction
The owner might give you a notice if you:
behave antisocially
do not pay the pitch fees
do not maintain your caravan or mobile home
You also risk eviction if you do not use the mobile home as your main residence. But most council sites will allow you to travel in your caravan for a few weeks each year.
Transit sites
Some councils provide authorised transit sites. If you get a pitch on a transit site, you can stay there in your mobile home for up to 3 months.
The council can end your right to stay on the site without a court order by giving you 4 weeks' written notice. They do not need to give a reason.
The council can also end your right to stay on the site if you break the terms of your agreement. They must tell you in writing what you've done and give you a reasonable time to put things right.
Unauthorised encampments
An unauthorised encampment is when you do not have a legal right to park and live in your caravan.
Unauthorised encampments include:
roads, verges and laybys
forests, parks and wasteland
farmland and other private land
A police officer or council worker might telly you to leave. They might tell you to move to a transit site in the area.
Negotiated stopping
Negotiated stopping agreement lets you stay somewhere temporarily, usually up to a month. The agreement is with the local council.
The council usually ask you to agree to simple terms such as:
not lighting fires
not leaving waste on the land
Speak to a Gypsy and Traveller liaison officer at the council.
Removal directions and orders
If you do not move on when asked to do so, the council or police might:
Give you a formal direction to leave the land.
Apply for a removal order in the magistrates' court.
If there are children on site, the council and police should think about their needs first.
The police might arrest you if do not leave an unauthorised encampment when they tell you to. You might also have to pay a fine and your vehicle might be seized.
You might have a defence if you could not leave because of things like illness or a problem with your vehicle. You need to show why you could not leave.
Eviction from your own land
There is a shortage of authorised permanent and transit sites in all areas.
If you've bought your own land to park a caravan there and live in it, you need a:
site licence
The council might take legal action to stop you or others from living on the land if you do not have these.
The council can:
Give you an enforcement notice.
Apply for a court injunction to remove you from the land.
You can usually live on your land if the council does not take enforcement action. This is called a 'tolerated' unauthorised development.
Specialist help and advice
These organisations can give more advice for Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities:
Last updated: 20 August 2025
