New rights giving park home residents the protection they need from unscrupulous site owners come into force this week and this has been welcomed by Michael Fabricant.

“While I am not aware of any problems on any park homes in my constituency at present, there were some major issues a few years back when I was called in to help. So I am delighted that the Government is now safeguarding park home residents in Lichfield, Armitage and elsewhere. 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 and root out the rogue operators and ensure that those who run an honest business will continue to flourish. Lichfield District and other councils will also now have the powers to protect the vulnerable, so park home residents will be able to enjoy their rural retreats in peace” says Michael.

“Park homes offer many people an affordable opportunity to escape to the country, but some dishonest park home operators in other parts of the country 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 unsalable. There are around 85,000 owner occupied park homes on 2,000 sites in England. For those who are experiencing problems or want advice on buying or selling their mobile home, there is now a helpline on 020 7383 9800 run by the Leasehold Advisory Service” Michael adds.

The new laws will make underhand tactics a thing of the past. They will:

• 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.