If you bought a holiday home, lodge or chalet and things have not turned out as you were told they would, you may have been mis-sold. This guide explains what mis-selling looks like, how your rights depend on the type of site and agreement, and what to do next.
Key point: mis-selling can happen when false or misleading statements are made before a purchase and influence the decision to buy. The seller does not have to have known the statement was wrong.
Holiday lodge or residential park home: your rights depend on the site and the agreement
The building itself does not decide your legal rights. What matters is what the site is licensed and permitted for, and the agreement you signed. Broadly, there are two kinds:
- Residential park homes on protected residential sites. In England these are covered by the Mobile Homes Act 1983 (in Wales, the Mobile Homes (Wales) Act 2013), which gives owners the right to stay on the pitch, limits when the site owner can end the agreement, and sets rules for pitch fee reviews.
- Holiday homes, lodges and chalets on holiday parks. These sit on a licence agreement, not a residential agreement, and are not covered by the Mobile Homes Act 1983. Your rights come from your contract and the consumer protection law that applied when you bought.
How to check which you have
Look at the documents you received when you bought. Check for:
- the words "holiday use only" or "not for permanent residential use" in the licence or agreement
- any statement that the park closes for part of the year, or that the home cannot be your main residence
- the park's site licence, issued by the local council under the Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960, which shows whether the site is licensed for holiday use. You can ask the park or the council to see it.
If the site is licensed for holiday use only, the Mobile Homes Act 1983 is unlikely to apply, even if you were told you could live there. That is an important point when a solicitor looks at your position. Our guide to park home owner rights explains the difference in more detail.
What lodge owners tell us they were told
These are things owners tell us they heard before they signed. If any of them sound familiar, it may be worth having your purchase reviewed.
"It will be a good investment"
Holiday lodges and caravans usually lose value over time. You do not own the land, and when a licence ends or the park applies an age limit, the value can fall sharply. If you were told your lodge was a good investment, or would hold its value, and that was not supported by accurate information, that may be relevant to a review. If you were shown written projections or told a specific resale value, keep that paperwork.
"Holiday letting income will cover the costs"
Some owners say they were shown letting income illustrations before they bought. If those figures were unrealistic, or based on assumptions that were not explained, that could be relevant. Site fees, insurance, maintenance and management charges all affect what is left. A solicitor will look at whether the information you were given was accurate and complete.
"You can live there all year or make it your main home"
A holiday licence is not the same as residential use. Many holiday parks have planning conditions that limit them to holiday use, and some close for part of the year.
A 12-month holiday season is not the same as residential use. Even where a park is open all year, a holiday lodge usually cannot be your main home. If you were told you could live there permanently or use it as your main address, and your licence does not allow that, what you were told may have been misleading.
"Running costs will stay low"
Site fees on holiday parks are not controlled by the Mobile Homes Act 1983 in the way residential pitch fees are. How they rise depends on your agreement, and on consumer law, which requires terms to be fair. If you were told fees were fixed, capped or would only rise with inflation, and that has not been your experience, a solicitor may look at what was said and what your contract says. Our guide to site fee increases explains what you can check.
"You can sell whenever you want"
Some owners say selling was harder than they expected. A park may require a sale to go through the park, charge a commission on a sale, or apply an age limit that makes selling on the park harder. If these restrictions were not explained before you bought, that may form part of a review. Our guides to selling a static caravan and static caravan age limits cover the restrictions owners most often meet.
Laws a solicitor may look at
Which laws apply depends on when you bought, what you were told and the terms of your agreement. An independent SRA-regulated solicitor decides which are relevant. These are the main ones.
Misrepresentation Act 1967
The Misrepresentation Act 1967 can apply where a false statement of fact made before you signed led you to enter the contract. It covers statements made carelessly or innocently, not only deliberate ones.
Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008, and the 2024 Act
The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 banned unfair commercial practices, including misleading actions and misleading omissions. From 6 April 2025 they were replaced by Chapter 1 of Part 4 of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024. If you bought before 6 April 2025, the 2008 Regulations are likely to be the relevant rules. A solicitor will say which applies to your purchase.
Consumer Rights Act 2015
The Consumer Rights Act 2015 requires contract terms to be fair and transparent, and an unfair term in a consumer contract is not binding on you. If your agreement has terms that were not made clear to you, or that are weighted heavily against you, a solicitor may consider whether they can be challenged.
Park Home Claim is a claims assistance firm, not a law firm, and is not regulated by the SRA or FCA. An independent SRA-regulated solicitor reviews your case.
What to gather before you get in touch
The more you can find, the easier it is for a solicitor to look at your position. Try to find:
- The sales brochure or promotional material you were given before you signed
- Any written letting income illustrations, projected returns or investment comparisons
- The licence agreement you signed
- The park rules
- Letters and emails with the park about fees, selling or when you can stay
- Finance paperwork, if you used a loan or finance agreement to buy
- Bank statements or receipts showing what you paid and when
Do not worry if you cannot find everything. You may be able to get copies of missing records with a subject access request to the park or the finance company. Our page on evidence and subject access requests explains how. If you bought a static caravan rather than a lodge, see our page on mis-sold static caravans.
How a review works
- Tell us about your purchase. Fill in a short form with three details to start with. It takes about two minutes.
- We call you back. We call for a short conversation about what you were told before you signed. Lines are open 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.
- An independent SRA-regulated solicitor reviews your case. The solicitor looks at what happened and tells you whether, in their view, you may have a claim.
- Nothing is agreed until you see the terms in writing. If you want to go further, you will get written terms first. You are under no obligation at any stage.
- Finance is looked at too. If you used finance to buy, mention it. The solicitor will look at it as part of the review.
The review is free and there is no obligation.
Sources
- Misrepresentation Act 1967
- Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008
- Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024
- Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (Commencement No. 2) Regulations 2025, which brought the new rules into force on 6 April 2025
- Consumer Rights Act 2015
- Mobile Homes Act 1983
- Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960