Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland: what’s different

On this page

At a glance

• Northern Ireland is the one part of the UK where holiday caravan owners get statutory rights — including a written statement of terms 28 days before buying.
• In England, Wales and Scotland your rights as a holiday caravan owner come from your contract and general consumer law.
• The larger twin-unit size limits arrived at different times: England 2006, Wales 2007, Scotland 2019.
• Free consumer advice: Citizens Advice in England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland, and Consumerline in Northern Ireland.

The four nations at a glance

Northern Ireland: rights for holiday caravan owners

Unusually, Northern Ireland’s law covers holiday pitch agreements as well as residential ones. Part 2 of the Caravans Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 applies to any agreement to keep and occupy a caravan on a site for more than 28 days that isn’t a residential agreement — the law calls these seasonal agreements, and they include a holiday caravan on a park. Under it:

• the site owner must give you a written statement of the express and implied terms at least 28 days before the sale or agreement — it can be shorter only if you agree in writing;
• express terms that weren’t in the written statement can’t be enforced by the site owner;
• the site owner has an implied duty to consult a qualifying owners’ association (one that includes at least half the owners on the site) about the management of the site and improvements, giving 28 days’ notice;
• disputes go to the county court.

The Act received Royal Assent on 16 March 2011 and came into force six months later. Caravan sites in Northern Ireland are licensed under the Caravans Act (Northern Ireland) 1963, as amended by the 2011 Act, and section 15 of the 2011 Act defines a caravan in the same words, and with the same twin-unit limits, as in Great Britain.

A holiday caravan in Northern Ireland still isn’t a home: the residential protections in Parts 1 and 3 of the 2011 Act apply only to protected (residential) sites. For residential park homes in NI, pitch fee reviews are presumed to follow RPI and commission on a sale is capped at 10%.

Scotland

• The larger twin-unit size limits took effect in Scotland on 15 November 2019, later than in England and Wales.
• Site licence conditions can’t duplicate fire safety matters already covered by the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005.
• For residential park homes, the pitch fee presumption switched from RPI to CPI on 1 April 2026. We couldn’t confirm the current Scottish cap on park home sale commission.
• Free consumer advice comes from Advice Direct Scotland (consumeradvice.scot, 0808 164 6000). Small court claims have their own process, explained on mygov.scot.
• Trading Standards’ Business Companion guidance for holiday parks covers Scotland as well as England and Wales.

What we couldn’t confirm: whether Scotland’s short-term let licensing applies to caravans let on licensed holiday parks, and how privately owned caravans on parks are treated for non-domestic rates in Scotland. Ask the park and the council.

Wales

• The larger twin-unit size limits took effect in Wales on 30 November 2007.
• Residential (“regulated”) sites in Wales come under the Mobile Homes (Wales) Act 2013, in force from 1 October 2014. Park home pitch fee reviews are linked to CPI, disagreements go to the Residential Property Tribunal Wales, and commission on a park home sale is capped at 10%.
• The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 applies in England and Wales, but the government’s fire safety guide for small paying-guest accommodation that we used covers England only.
• Holiday lets that are assessed for business rates on their own face different tests in Wales (available 252 nights, let 182) and England (140 and 70). These don’t normally affect privately owned caravans on a park, which are rated as part of the operator’s site.

England

Most of the guidance on this site applies across Great Britain; a few points are England-only:

• the government’s fire safety guide for small paying-guest accommodation, relevant if you let your caravan — see letting your caravan;
• the Model Standards 1989 for holiday caravan sites, which councils in England use when setting licence conditions — see safety;
• a national register of short-term lets, which GOV.UK says is expected to start in March 2027. We couldn’t confirm whether it will cover caravans on licensed holiday parks.

Wherever you are

The basics are the same across the UK: a holiday caravan is for holidays, the licence agreement is the key document, and the VAT rules are HMRC’s — see VAT on static caravans. For where to get help in each nation, see our help page.

Sources

Checked 6 October 2026. We wrote this guide from these sources, in our own words:

1. Caravans Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 (legislation.gov.uk)
2. Caravans Act (Northern Ireland) 2011, Part 4 (legislation.gov.uk)
3. Caravan Sites Act 1968, section 13 (twin-unit caravans) (legislation.gov.uk)
4. SSI 2019/295 (Scotland): twin-unit size change (legislation.gov.uk)
5. Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960, section 5 (legislation.gov.uk)
6. Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960, section 1 (legislation.gov.uk)
7. Mobile Homes Act 1983, Schedule 1 (legislation.gov.uk)
8. Mobile Homes (Wales) Act 2013, Schedule 2 (legislation.gov.uk)
9. GOV.WALES: park home pitch fees (gov.wales)
10. Mobile Homes (Selling and Gifting) (Wales) Regulations 2014 (legislation.gov.uk)
11. Mobile Homes (Pitch Fees) Act 2023 (legislation.gov.uk)
12. GOV.UK: Business rates for self-catering and holiday let accommodation (gov.uk)
13. VOA: How we value caravan sites (valuationoffice.blog.gov.uk)
14. GOV.UK: Letting out a self-catering holiday home in England (gov.uk)
15. Business Companion: Holiday parks guidance (CTSI) (businesscompanion.info)
16. Citizens Advice consumer service (citizensadvice.org.uk)
17. Advice Direct Scotland — consumeradvice.scot (consumeradvice.scot)
18. Consumerline (Northern Ireland) (economy-ni.gov.uk)
19. GOV.UK: Make a court claim for money (gov.uk)
20. Short-Term Lets Licensing Order (Scotland) 2022, Schedule 1 (legislation.gov.uk)

Travel Trailers is an independent guide. It is not owned by, or connected to, any holiday park operator, caravan manufacturer, dealer or trade body. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.