What are the rules about sleeping on the driveway?

[PreservativeFree]

I'd really like to downsize, for day to day living this house is too big for me.

I'd also like a campervan.

I'd hate to be in a position though where there's no room for DC and (potential) GC to stay. If I buy a two bed bungalow, am I allowed to use the campervan as an occasional guest room on the driveway (or in the garden, ideally there'd be somewhere more discrete to park it) ?

Yes of course that’s fine.

Yes you are

It's hardly a criminal offence, so the only question would be about insurance for the van.

I thought there were rules? I'm sure you cant live permanently in a caravan in a garden, for example.

Many properties have covenants related to caravans and campers bring marked up. If it is important you might want to ask your solicitor to check if there is one and if it is enforceable.

If you own the caravan and the garden, you can indeed choose to live in it.

Yes it's fine. A lot of people did that during lockdown when they weren't allowed to go anywhere.

Most places don't have covenants forbidding vans and mohos unless they're new build estates.

@PreservativeFree

I thought there were rules? I'm sure you cant live permanently in a caravan in a garden, for example.

Yes. But you didn’t ask if someone can live permanently in a caravan. You asked if someone could sleep occasionally in a camper van on your drive

You can't live permanently in it as it would then be classed as a dwelling & you need planning permission for that. Putting up guests for a few nights is a different matter unless, as PP has pointed out, there's a covenant on the land banning it. Even then, whose going to enforce it?

It's fine. We do this sometimes!

The only thing you need to bear in mind is whether you are allowed to keep caravans or motorhomes your driveway - this will be on your deeds. I'm technically not supposed to but nobody round here is bothered

You need to check the deeds for covenants. My house was built 50 years ago, there is a covenant in place no caravans or camper vans allowed to be parked on the drive

As others have said it'll depend on the covenants about caravans / campers on the driveway. Getting to covenants enforced is another matter though. You can use a caravan for sleeping on within the curtilage of your own property for up to 28 nights a year as long as 'residential' services such as sewage, mains water, electricity or gas were not permanently connected. Not sure how insurance would work though.

The downside with smaller properties is that they tend to come with a lot less parking space, so you may find it tricky to find a property with adequate parking.

As others say, check there is no covenant - an estate I used to live on all have open plan frontages and caravans are not permitted.

My Nan used to do this for us . It felt so exciting when we were kids

Me and DD have movie night/sleepovers in our caravan quite often when it's not too cold. Never occurred to me that it wasn't allowed.
Actually, I'd probably have still done it

@Chloemol

You need to check the deeds for covenants. My house was built 50 years ago, there is a covenant in place no caravans or camper vans allowed to be parked on the drive

And who is going to enforce that?