Renting a mobile home

Mobile home rights

If you rent a mobile home, your rights are based on the law and the agreement you have with your landlord.

You have rights even if you don't have a written agreement.

Most people who rent a mobile home have a licence. You have stronger rights if you are a tenant.

Mobile home tenancies

You may be able to show that you are a tenant if you rent a mobile home that can be classed as a dwelling house.

Your mobile home may be classed as a dwelling house if all these apply:

• it's static and can't be moved or is so large that it can't be moved in one piece
• it has mains supplies of electricity, water and telephone
• it's used as a permanent residence

You will have either an assured, assured shorthold or regulated tenancy.

Tenancy rights: assured shorthold tenants

If your tenancy began after 15 January 1989, you may be an assured shorthold tenant. Most tenants have assured shorthold tenancies.

It is straightforward to evict you if you are an assured shorthold tenant.

You are entitled to written notice, your landlord has to take you to court and only a court bailiff can evict you from your home.

Find out more about eviction from assured shorthold tenancies.

Tenancy rights: assured tenants

If your tenancy began after 15 January 1989, you may be an assured tenant.

Your landlord must have a legal reason to evict you from an assured tenancy. You are entitled to written notice. Your landlord has to take you to court to evict you. Only a court bailiff can evict you from your home.

Find out more about eviction from assured tenancies.

Tenancy rights: regulated tenants

You may have a regulated tenancy if your tenancy agreement began before 2 January 1989.

As a regulated tenant, you can apply to the rent officer to have a fair rent determined. A landlord has to have a legal reason to evict you from a regulated tenancy. You are entitled to written notice, your landlord has to take you to court and only a court bailiff can evict you from your home.

Find out more about eviction from a regulated tenancy.

If your agreement is a licence

You are probably a licensee if you rent a mobile home. To be classed as a tenant, your mobile home has to be classed as a dwelling house. Most don't qualify.

You have limited rights as a licensee, particularly if your landlord wants to evict you.

Problems with tenancy status

Your landlord may refuse to accept that you are a tenant.

You may need to take court action if you want to assert your rights as a tenant. This may happen if:

• you are defending an eviction after your landlord asks you to leave
• your landlord refuses to make repairs to your home

Get advice from a Shelter advice centre or Citizens Advice before taking any action.

Use Shelter's directory to find one in your local area