New Scottish regulations set standard form for mobile home agreements

New Scottish regulations governing written agreements between mobile home site owners and residents have come into force, providing a prescribed format for the written statements that underpin occupation agreements on residential mobile home sites.

The Mobile Homes (Written Statement) (Scotland) Regulations 2026 update the requirements for the written statements that site owners must provide to residents. These statements form the contractual basis of the agreement for a mobile home pitch and set out the rights and responsibilities of both parties.

Under the framework, written statements must include details of the site owner and resident, a description of the pitch, statutory implied terms and any additional agreed express terms. Express terms may cover matters such as pitch fees, utility charges, annual reviews and maintenance obligations, provided they do not conflict with the statutory protections contained in the implied terms.

The regulations sit within Scotland’s wider mobile homes regime, which aims to provide greater transparency and certainty for residents while ensuring site operators clearly communicate contractual arrangements before occupation begins. Site owners are generally required to provide the written statement at least 28 days before an agreement commences, unless an alternative date has been agreed in writing.

While residential mobile home agreements sit outside mainstream civic licensing functions, the regulations are relevant to local authority officers involved in housing standards, site licensing and the regulation of residential caravan and mobile home sites.

The prescribed written statement helps establish a consistent contractual framework across Scotland’s mobile home sector, supporting compliance with statutory protections and providing a clearer basis for resolving disputes between site operators and residents.

For councils that license relevant sites, the changes form part of the wider regulatory landscape governing the operation and management of residential mobile home parks and Gypsy/Traveller sites, where mobile homes legislation continues to underpin many residents’ core rights and protections.

Failure to provide a compliant written statement may result in residents seeking a remedy through the sheriff court, which can order a site owner to issue the required documentation. Certain express terms may also be unenforceable where statutory requirements have not been met.