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If you have the land to spare around your high value home, you may be considering letting campers use it this summer – particularly if you live near the sites of events such as sports races or arts festivals. This would be known as a “pop-up campsite” as it will only operate for a short period of time. Alternatively, you may be interested in letting out your land all year round to campers. We’ve put together this guide on how to let out your land for camping, so you can be ready for the summer season.
How long can you run a campsite for?
In England, the 60-day-rule is in effect – this means that you can use your land for any temporary purpose – such as running a campsite – for up to 60 days without planning permission. However, if you live in other parts of the UK, you will be restricted to 28 days without planning. This is due to English temporary development rights being updated in 2023 to specifically address the operation of campsites, but this does not apply for the rest of the UK.
What do you need to consider when planning a campsite
There are several things you’ll need to consider before opening your campsite:
- Location. Is your land suitable for camping? Campers will ideally be looking for somewhere flat and well-maintained to pitch their tents or park their campervan. Make sure the field or area you choose is away from other properties and historic sites.
- Tenancy and land agreements. Do you own the land on which your campsite will be based? If not, you will need to check your tenancy agreement to see if campsites are permitted. If your tenancy agreement only permits agricultural use, then you could be in breach, so it’s important to make sure you check it carefully before making any plans.
- Environmental impact. As a landowner you have a duty to act responsibly when it comes to the environment – even though you do not have to have an environmental assessment carried out, there are a number of things you can do to ensure your impact is minimal. Provide bins to deter littering, limit your number of pitches and ask campers to avoid lighting campfires or using disposable barbecues. You will also need to arrange for rubbish to be disposed of.
- Opening times. When will your campsite be in operation? Depending on where you are based in the UK, you can operate a campsite for up to 60 (England) or 28 (Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland) days without planning permission. You may decide that you only want to open the campsite during school holidays, which will give you a break between operation times.
- Pricing and tax. Research other campsites in the area to get an idea of how much you should be charging for your pitches – if you are asking for too much, you will not get the uptake required to make renting your land out worth your time. You’ll also need to bear in mind that VAT will be payable on any campsite fees charged, so take this into account when setting your prices.
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In our guide, we explore what you need to consider about leasehold vs freehold properties, including tenant improvement cover and the type of contents insurance you need.
Are you covered to open a campsite?
Your land insurer can offer you public liability insurance, which you will need to have in place before you can welcome any visitors to your campsite. A typical high-value home insurance provider may extend the liability cover, usually at little or no extra cost, to cover any temporary camping on-site since it will be considered incidental business use. As always, it’s best to check the details of your policy with your broker before inviting the remnants of Glastonbury onto your land!
Want to know more about our High Value Home Insurance policies? Contact Stanhope for advice and quotes today.
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Sources
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2023/747/article/3/made
https://www.hipcamp.com/journal/hosting/28-day-rule-starting-a-pop-up-campsite-uk