Static caravans can be a wonderful investment — a holiday home you can escape to whenever you like. But before you buy, or if you’re trying to decide whether to keep your existing caravan, it pays to understand the full picture of running costs. This guide breaks down everything you can expect to pay as a static caravan owner in the UK.
Site Fees (Pitch Fees)
Site fees are almost always the biggest ongoing cost. You pay these to the holiday park for the ground your caravan occupies, plus access to the park’s facilities.
Annual site fees vary enormously depending on location, park quality, and season length:
- Budget parks: £2,500–£4,000 per year
- Mid-range parks: £4,000–£7,000 per year
- Premium parks: £7,000–£12,000+ per year
Coastal parks and those in popular tourist areas (Yorkshire coast, North Wales, Cornwall, the Lake District) tend to charge more. Always check what the site fee includes — some cover water and refuse, others charge these separately.
Gas and Electricity
Most static caravans are supplied with electricity from the park grid. Parks have historically charged above standard domestic rates — typically 25–40p per kWh — though this varies. Some parks now offer fixed-rate tariffs.
Typical annual electricity costs range from £300–£800 depending on how often you use the caravan and whether it has electric heating.
Gas (usually LPG from bottles or a bulk tank) powers the cooker, boiler, and sometimes the central heating. Budget around £150–£400 per year depending on usage.
Insurance
Specialist static caravan insurance is strongly recommended. Policies typically cover the structure, contents, public liability, and emergency accommodation.
Annual premiums generally fall between £150 and £400 for a standard caravan, though this varies based on the caravan’s value, age, park location, and level of cover. Always read the small print — some policies exclude storm damage or require certain security measures.
Rates and Licensing
Static caravans used as holiday accommodation are not subject to council tax. However, your park will have planning permission for a set season (often March to October on a 10-month licence, or March to January on an 11-month licence). Some parks hold 12-month licences. If you use your caravan outside the permitted season, your park licence can be jeopardised — always check.
Maintenance and Repairs
Like any property, static caravans need regular upkeep. Typical ongoing maintenance costs include:
- Annual service (gas appliances, boiler): £100–£200
- Roof seal and exterior treatments: £100–£300 every few years
- General repairs (seals, locks, blinds): £100–£400 per year depending on age
- Damp prevention and treatment: variable — damp is the number one cause of value decline in static caravans
Older caravans naturally require more maintenance. A 10-year-old caravan may cost considerably more to keep in good condition than a unit purchased new.
Park Rules on Caravan Age
Many parks operate an age policy — typically they will not allow caravans older than 10, 15, or 20 years on site. When your caravan reaches the park’s age limit, you’ll either need to replace it or find a new site. Factor this into your long-term planning.
Total Annual Running Costs: Summary
- Site fees: £4,000–£7,000
- Gas and electricity: £450–£1,200
- Insurance: £150–£400
- Maintenance: £200–£500
- Total: approximately £4,800–£9,100 per year
This doesn’t include one-off costs like refurbishments, replacement appliances, or the eventual cost of selling or removing the caravan.
Thinking of Selling?
If running costs are mounting and you’re considering selling your static caravan, The Caravan Swap Shop buys caravans directly from owners — no park commission, no agent fees. We offer a straightforward cash purchase with collection included.
Find out how to sell your static caravan or get a free valuation today.
Water, Refuse and Other Park Charges
Site fees do not always cover everything. On many parks water, sewerage and refuse are billed separately, and the way they are charged varies: some parks meter each pitch, others split the park total between owners, and a few fold it all into the annual fee. Budget somewhere around 100 to 300 pounds a year where these are charged on top.
Watch for the smaller extras too. Car parking passes, gate or barrier fobs, wifi, use of the pool or club, and guest passes for visitors are all commonly charged separately. Individually they are small. Added up over a season they are not.
Winter Storage and Winterisation
Most parks close for part of the year, and a caravan that is left standing through a British winter needs preparing for it. Winterisation means draining the water system, the boiler and the heating, isolating the supply, and leaving taps open so nothing can freeze and split. Parks typically offer this as a paid service for roughly 60 to 150 pounds, or you can do it yourself if you are confident.
It is the single cheapest piece of protection an owner can buy. A frozen pipe that splits behind a wall panel will not be noticed until the thaw, and by then the repair bill and the damp damage together can run well into four figures. Damp is the fastest destroyer of resale value in a static caravan, so this one job protects the asset as well as the plumbing.
How Site Fees Vary by Region
Location drives pitch fees more than any other factor. Coastal parks in high demand tourist areas sit at the top of the range, while inland and rural parks are usually considerably cheaper for a comparable caravan. As a rough guide to how the regions compare:
- Cornwall and the South West — among the highest in the UK, with premium coastal parks well above the national average. Selling in Cornwall.
- The Lake District and Cumbria — high demand and limited pitch supply keep fees firmly in the upper range. Selling in the Lake District.
- The Yorkshire coast — a very large owner market with fees spanning almost the full range depending on the park. Selling in Yorkshire.
- North Wales — popular coastal parks command premium fees, with better value further inland. Selling in North Wales.
- Norfolk, Suffolk and East Anglia — broad mid range, with a long established owner market. Selling in Norfolk.
- Lincolnshire — generally among the more affordable coastal options in England. Selling in Lincolnshire.
- Scotland — wide variation, with lochside and highland parks priced well above the rural average. Selling in Scotland.
We buy across the whole of the UK. You can see every region we cover on our regional hub.
What Happens If You Stop Paying Site Fees
Your pitch is held under a licence agreement, not a tenancy, and the fee is the consideration for it. Fall behind and the park can suspend your access, decline to renew the agreement at the end of the season, and pursue the arrears in the same way as any other debt. Some agreements also allow a park to recover unpaid fees from the proceeds if the caravan is later sold on site.
The practical point is that arrears remove your options. An owner who sells while the caravan is in good standing chooses the buyer and the price. An owner who has fallen behind is negotiating from a much weaker position. If the annual bill has become a strain, it is worth finding out what your static caravan is worth before the decision is made for you.
Can You Sublet to Cover the Costs?
Subletting is the first idea most owners have when the fees rise, and it is the one most often blocked by the licence agreement. Parks that do allow it usually insist bookings run through their own system and take a commission on each let, which reduces the return considerably. Where letting is permitted, the income is taxable and you will need the right insurance cover, because a standard owner policy will not cover paying guests.
Read the agreement before you rely on the numbers. Breaching a no subletting clause is a straightforward way to lose a pitch.
How Running Costs Affect What Your Caravan Is Worth
Two caravans of the same make, model and year can be worth noticeably different amounts, and the park is usually the reason. A pitch with high fees, a short season or a strict age policy narrows the pool of buyers, and a narrower pool means a lower price. It is worth knowing your park age limit in advance, because that date sets a ceiling on how long the caravan can stay where it is. Our guide to the holiday park caravan age policy explains how those limits work.
Condition is the part you control. Regular servicing, a sound roof seal and prompt attention to any sign of damp will hold value better than almost anything else you can spend money on. If you are weighing up whether to keep spending or to sell, our guides on how to value a static caravan and selling to a trader versus selling through the park set out the realistic options, and the best time of year to sell can make a meaningful difference to the figure.
Frequently Asked Questions About Static Caravan Running Costs
How much does it cost to run a static caravan per year in the UK?
For most owners the all-in figure lands somewhere between roughly 4,800 and 9,100 pounds a year once site fees, gas and electricity, insurance and routine maintenance are added together. Site fees are by far the largest single element, so the park you are on matters more than any other factor.
Do you pay council tax on a static caravan?
No. A static caravan used as holiday accommodation is not liable for council tax, because it is not classed as a main residence. The park pays business rates on the site as a whole and recovers that through your pitch fee, so the cost reaches you indirectly rather than as a separate bill.
Why do site fees go up every year?
Parks review pitch fees annually and most increase them each season to cover rising energy, staffing, maintenance and insurance costs. Your licence agreement sets out how and when a rise can be applied. Pitch fee increases have become a live issue for owners across the UK, and they are one of the most common reasons people decide to sell.
What happens if I stop paying my site fees?
Non payment puts you in breach of your licence agreement. A park can suspend your access to the caravan, refuse to renew the agreement, and in some cases pursue the arrears as a debt. If the costs have become unmanageable it is almost always better to sell while the caravan still has value than to fall behind and lose control of the outcome.
Can I rent out my static caravan to cover the running costs?
Only if your park permits it, and many do not. Parks that do allow subletting usually require it to go through their own booking system and take a commission, and letting income is taxable. Read your licence agreement before you count on rental income, because breaching a no subletting clause can put your pitch at risk.
Do running costs affect what my static caravan is worth?
Indirectly, yes. A caravan on a park with high pitch fees or a short season has a smaller pool of buyers, and that shows up in the price. Condition matters more still. Deferred maintenance, and damp in particular, reduces value faster than any other single factor, so money spent keeping a caravan dry is rarely wasted.
How much does it cost to winterise a static caravan?
Expect roughly 60 to 150 pounds if the park or a local engineer drains the system down for you, and little more than your time if you do it yourself. It is one of the cheapest jobs of the year and one of the most valuable, because a burst pipe over winter can cause damage running into thousands.
What are the hidden costs of owning a static caravan?
The ones owners most often overlook are winter storage or decommissioning, water and refuse charges where they are billed separately, the cost of replacing the caravan when it reaches the park age limit, and removal or transport costs at the end of ownership. None are large on their own, but together they can add several hundred pounds to a typical year.
Still weighing it up? A free valuation tells you what the caravan is actually worth today, with no obligation either way, and our full guide to how to sell your static caravan walks through the whole process.