Pitch Fee Increases Explained: What the RPI to CPI Change Means for Park Home Owners

Your pitch fee is the rent you pay the site owner for the plot your park home sits on. It gets reviewed once a year, and the amount it can rise by is set by law. In July 2023, that law changed in your favour. Here is how pitch fee reviews work now, and what to check before you agree to an increase.

What your pitch fee actually covers

A pitch fee pays for your right to keep your home on its plot, plus the general upkeep of the site around you. It typically covers maintenance of communal areas such as roads, pathways, gardens and shared grounds, the upkeep and security of shared site infrastructure, and the site owner's administrative costs, including fees paid to the local authority for the park's site licence.

It does not cover your utility bills. Gas, electricity and water are almost always billed separately, often directly to the supplier rather than through the park. Council tax on your own home, your contents insurance and your TV licence are also your own responsibility, separate from the pitch fee.

What changed in 2023

The Mobile Homes (Pitch Fees) Act 2023 came into force in England on 2 July 2023. Before that date, site owners increased pitch fees in line with the Retail Prices Index (RPI). Now they use the Consumer Prices Index (CPI), which usually runs lower.

The gap is real money. In April 2023, RPI stood at 11.4% while CPI was 8.7%. The government estimated the switch saves residents around £74 a year each on average over ten years. Wales already used CPI, so this brought England into line.

One protection sits alongside the change. Your site owner cannot claw back the difference between RPI and CPI by adding it elsewhere in the fee.
How the annual review works.

How the annual review works

A pitch fee review happens once a year on your review date. The site owner has to follow a set process, and if they skip a step, the increase is not valid.

They must give you at least 28 days' written notice using the official pitch fee review form. The form shows exactly how the new fee was worked out. The CPI figure they apply is the one published immediately before that 28-day notice goes out, not a number they pick.

The increase only takes effect from your review date, and only once the process is followed correctly. 

What to check on the form

Read the review form before you agree to anything. Use this checklist to verify it’s valid:
  • The 28-day rule. The site owner must give you at least 28 clear days of written notice before your review date.
  • The official form. The increase must be proposed using the correct pitch fee review form. A letter or email alone isn’t legally binding.
  • The right index. A review notice served on or after 2 July 2023 must use CPI, not RPI — and the CPI figure used should match the one published immediately before the 28-day notice was issued, not a later or earlier figure.
  • No claw-backs. The site owner cannot add extra costs elsewhere in the fee to make up for CPI running lower than RPI, or to recover any other loss the index change caused them.
  • What’s actually included. The fee can reflect the cost of running and maintaining the park. It cannot include the site owner’s legal fees, site licence application costs, local authority enforcement action, or the cost of expanding the site.
If any of these don’t check out, the review is invalid — see below.

If you disagree with the increase

You do not have to pay a rise you think is wrong. Keep paying your existing pitch fee and don’t start paying the new figure — doing so can be treated as agreeing to it, even if you didn’t mean to accept it.

Either you or the site owner can apply to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) to decide the correct fee — within three months of the review date for a review carried out on time, or within four months of the written notice if the review was late. Keep paying your existing fee throughout; if the tribunal ultimately sets a higher figure, it backdates to your original review date, but you’re not treated as being in arrears until 28 days after the tribunal’s decision, so there’s time to settle any balance owed.

Does this apply to your park? 

The CPI rule covers protected residential sites under the Mobile Homes Act 1983. A protected site has a licence and planning permission for people to live there all year. You own the home and rent the pitch.

Holiday parks work differently. If your caravan sits on a holiday licence, these pitch fee rules do not apply, and your site fees follow the terms in your own agreement instead. 

Frequently asked questions

How much can my pitch fee go up each year? 
There is a presumption that the rise matches CPI. The site owner can argue for more if their park running costs have gone up, but they have to show it on the review form, and you can challenge it at the tribunal.
When did pitch fees change from RPI to CPI?
On 2 July 2023 in England, under the Mobile Homes (Pitch Fees) Act 2023. Any review notice served on or after that date must use CPI.
Can I refuse to pay a pitch fee increase? 
Yes. If you disagree with a proposed increase, keep paying your existing pitch fee rather than the new figure — starting to pay the new amount can count as agreeing to it. Either side can apply to the First-tier Tribunal to decide the correct fee: within three months of the review date for an on-time review, or four months of the notice for a late one.
What if my site owner used the wrong form or RPI? 
The review is invalid, and you do not have to pay the proposed increase until it is done correctly.
Where can I get free advice? 
LEASE runs a free service for park home residents. Call 020 7832 2525 or use the park homes section of their website.
Does the pitch fee cover my utility bills?
No. Gas, electricity and water are almost always billed separately, often directly to the supplier rather than through the park.

This is general guidance, not legal advice. For your own situation, speak to LEASE or a solicitor who knows park home law.