Sleeping in a driveway

[VANpelt]

Hi gang!

I'm looking to buy my first camper. Going into my 3rd year of university next year and was wondering about the legality around potentially parking a camper in friends driveways and living like that to avoid rent?

Appreciate any knowledge - am completely new to this!

 

[Northernraider]

I lived in my mums driveway for 9 months

No issues ...van , insurance and licence are registered there

 

[Jimbohorlicks]

Hi gang!

I'm looking to buy my first camper. Going into my 3rd year of university next year and was wondering about the legality around potentially parking a camper in friends driveways and living like that to avoid rent?

Appreciate any knowledge - am completely new to this!

If it was parked up and you weren't intending to use it on the road, you could sorn it also.

 

[VANpelt]

I lived in my mums driveway for 9 months

No issues ...van , insurance and licence are registered there

Would the van being insured to my (family) home be an issue? i.e. not the home it is parked outside while at university

 

[VANpelt]

If it was parked up and you weren't intending to use it on the road, you could sorn it also.

I likely would still drive around in it during holidays to go on trips with friends and go back home.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Pugsy]

lived on my sister's driveway for 5 months this summer ,before heading of to Spain. No issues and no problems, good luck and welcome. just let your insurance know that you will be parking it there, my van is registered at another address and the insurance were fine with it being parked long term at my sister's.

 

[VANpelt]

lived on my sister's driveway for 5 months this summer ,before heading of to Spain. No issues and no problems, good luck and welcome.

Brilliant! thanks Pugsy

 

[Langtoftlad]

I believe that 'technically' you can only "camp" anywhere for a certain number of days in a year, and in any one spot for so many consecutive days.
Also, the friends property might be subject to covenants.

 

[DBK]

Welcome! I am sure you can get away with it if there are no nosy neighbours. If it's on a drive and in full view of passing cars and pedestrians you could get into trouble if someone complains to the local authority.

I say this because it would I think be no different to living in a caravan on a property - you need planning permission.

You might be wise to move the vehicle regularly, especially at the end of each term and be discrete - no parties!

 

[Vipar]

Greetings peeps welcome from Bexley

Go for it girl you only live once

You can always move if some busybody interferes

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Yorick]

I believe that 'technically' you can only "camp" anywhere for a certain number of days in a year, and in any one spot for so many consecutive days.
Also, the friends property might be subject to covenants.

I really doubt if anybody would check.

 

[68c]

Be careful having a drink in the van, unlikely but an eager cop could suspect you intend to drive after drinking.

 

[Vipar]

Not if she leaves the ignition key in the house

 

[David and Sally]

Be careful having a drink in the van, unlikely but an eager cop could suspect you intend to drive after drinking.

No problem. Students don't drink.

Good luck and I hope it all works out for you.

 

[Lenny HB]

Would the van being insured to my (family) home be an issue? i.e. not the home it is parked outside while at university

As long as it's not left unattended for more than 48 hours should be OK.
Most policy state if away from normal parking place you need to inform them if left unattended for more than 48 hours.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Langtoftlad]

I really doubt if anybody would check.

Depending on neighbours, neither do I...
...but the OP asked about the "legality"

 

[Jim]

Stay long enough and the council might ask you for council tax. Your friend would need to confirm that you are only using it as bedroom accommodation and other facilities used, ie kitchen and toilet facilities are those in the house and not the van.

You do not need planning permission to park a caravan in your driveway or garden as long as it is being used as an annex of your home. This means it can be used as if it were part of the house (for example, an extra bedroom) by members of your immediate family or occasionally by friends but you can’t hire it out (for example, for holidays) or use it as a completely separate dwelling from your home.

 

[Snoopy]

Good luck, hope you get it sorted

 

[cmcardle75]

A lot depends on the neighbours. If they complain, you may find a planning violation. There can be issues with council tax if they decide it is an additional household, rather than an adjunct to the existing house or a short term stay.

Finally, you absolutely must tell your insurance company that it will habitually be parked at this specific address, even if you keep the correspondance address as before. Never lie to insurance companies.

 

[ambulancekidd]

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Ernesto]

As others have said - I’d always recommend being utterly straight with your insurers. I dont think you’re at risk from Council Tax as full time students are mostly exempt I think?
I also dont believe the council or planning dept will be bothered ... unless the homeowner started charging ground rent, but a little discretion as regards the neighbours, will always go a long way.
Offer to take their Amazon deliveries in whilst they’re out and you’ll be friends for life

 

[Northernraider]

Hi gang!

I'm looking to buy my first camper. Going into my 3rd year of university next year and was wondering about the legality around potentially parking a camper in friends driveways and living like that to avoid rent?

Appreciate any knowledge - am completely new to this!

Best advice dont look for problems and you wont find them.

Park it in your friends drive , don't annoy neighbours and you won't have a problem

 

[AndyPK]

Make sure you’ve a good internet connection in the ‘van - for all your online lectures!!

(and welcome from Ciren!)

 

[two]

Welcome.
If Mary Shepherd can do it, I'm sure you might, too.

 

[rickwiggans]

Also, the friends property might be subject to covenants.

Covenants can only be enforced by the courts, at the request of the person who drew up the covenant. This is normally the developer, to stop white van man parking on the pristine new estate while the rest of the properties are sold. After, this, the developer normally loses interest. Probably not an issue.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Langtoftlad]

Covenants can only be enforced by the courts, at the request of the person who drew up the covenant. This is normally the developer, to stop white van man parking on the pristine new estate while the rest of the properties are sold. After, this, the developer normally loses interest. Probably not an issue.

Agreed - probably not an issue - but the Q was legality.
So it's a consideration

 

[CamperJack]

Welcome.

As for the legality of it, probably some red tape somewhere saying you can't do it. So much for being free and an Englishman's home being his castle.

In reality, if it's a quiet area and you don't upset anyone you'll probably get away with it. It all depends if you get noticed by PC Plod or if the nosy neighbors report you.

You can't "camp" on any land for a period of more then two weeks, even if you own it. I think that's the rule which makes my little dream of buying some land and living in my van / caravan a lot harder. Perhaps I need two and to move between them?

If the housing market wasn't so ridiculously impossible to get into people wouldn't have to look for these ways around... but that's a whole other rant and not for now.

I plan on using my van when I eventually go back to Uni for a Masters. I plan on using a mixture of free park ups and sites, and returning home on the days where I have no lectures. Would still work out cheaper than renting!

Welcome again.

 

[rickwiggans]

Agreed - probably not an issue - but the Q was legality.

So the answer is it's not illegal as such, but subject to the whims of a civil enforcement. Depends a bit, I suppose, on how old the covenant is, and how much anybody can be bothered. I guess it'll come down to "who knows"!!

 

[rickwiggans]

As a vaguely related aside, my family and I lived in two caravans on our own land for two years, whilst we completed a barn conversion. No issues with neighbours, or the local authority, and as for PC Plod, it was on his round for a brew and a bacon butty. Make of it what you will.

 

[Figaro]