New rights giving park home residents the protection they need from unscrupulous site owners come have come into force.
Park homes offer many people an affordable opportunity to escape to the country, but some dishonest park home operators abuse their position to make a profit at their residents’ expense. In some cases, site owners have lied to prospective purchasers about the conditions of homes and even dug holes around homes to make them unsaleable.
The new laws will make these underhand tactics a thing of the past. These new rules:
• remove site owners from the park home buying and selling process, meaning that residents cannot be forced to, or prevented from, selling their park homes to fill the landlord’s pocket;
• make it harder to impose unexpected charges or changes of rules; and
• give local authorities more power to enforce breaches, making it easier to prosecute a site owner who harasses residents.
The Government has also launched a new national helpline, operated by the Leasehold Advisory Service, for residents to get advice on their rights when selling or gifting their home.
Graham said: “I’m delighted that the Government is safeguarding park home residents in Weaver Vale. For too long, some unscrupulous operators have made residents’ lives a misery, intimidating people and manipulating the rules to turn a quick profit.
“These new protections will close the loopholes to root out the rogue operators and ensure those who run an honest business will continue to flourish.”