Buying a static caravan can give you a holiday home to enjoy yourself, but the annual cost of keeping it on a holiday park can be substantial.
Haven’s Let2offset scheme is designed to help with that cost. In return for making your holiday home available for a set number of letting breaks, you receive letting income from Haven which is applied against your site fees.
But there are several things to understand before deciding whether it is a good deal, particularly if you’re considering letting the caravan for longer and trying to make a profit.
How Does Haven Let2offset Work?
Let2offset is a contractual letting scheme available on selected Haven holiday homes.
You agree to make your caravan available to Haven for a minimum of 30 letting breaks per Haven Year, equivalent to 15 weeks. In return, Haven pays you a guaranteed preferential letting income, which is credited to your owner’s account and deducted from your monthly site fee.
Instead of paying your annual site fee in one payment, Let2offset allows it to be split into 12 monthly instalments.
The amount of letting income depends on the caravan, park, pitch and dates involved, so there isn’t one standard figure that applies to every Haven holiday home. Haven recalculates the letting income each year.
The scheme is only available to eligible holiday homes and participation has to be renewed each year.
How Many Weeks Do You Have to Let?
The current Let2offset requirement is 15 weeks per season.
Those weeks are made up of:
- 8 Off-Peak breaks
- 4 Peak breaks
- 3 Super Peak breaks
Haven describes these as 30 individual three- or four-night letting breaks.
You can choose your preferred weeks within the relevant periods, although Haven has to accept the dates.
The important point is that these are dates you are committing to let through Haven. They aren’t simply dates that you can change your mind about later without consequences.
Can You Let a Haven Caravan for More Than 15 Weeks?
Yes.
The 15 weeks are the minimum required for Let2offset, not the maximum number of weeks you can let.
Haven’s current terms specifically allow owners participating in Let2offset to sell additional letting breaks to Haven. Haven isn’t obliged to accept additional breaks, so availability matters, and once you agree to additional breaks they become a contractual commitment for that season.
Haven also offers separate Fixed and Flexi letting. With those options, you can make your caravan available for anything from one break to the entire letting season, which runs from March to November.
So if your aim is to maximise letting income, you aren’t restricted to the 15 weeks required by Let2offset.
What Is the 10-Year Rule for Haven Caravans?
The 10-year rule relates to how long you can potentially participate in Let2offset, rather than meaning you have to get rid of the caravan after 10 years.
Under Haven’s current terms, a holiday home must be less than seven years old from its date of manufacture to be eligible for Let2offset.
You can apply to participate for up to seven years from the date you bought the caravan, or until the caravan is seven years old from its date of manufacture, whichever comes first.
After that, Haven may, at its discretion, allow participation for another three years. The maximum is therefore 10 years from the date of purchase or until the caravan is 10 years old from its date of manufacture, whichever comes first.
This is particularly important when buying a used caravan. A second-hand caravan doesn’t get a new 10-year Let2offset period simply because you’ve bought it.
What Happens After Let2offset Ends?
The end of your Let2offset eligibility doesn’t automatically mean you have to sell the caravan.
It means the Let2offset arrangement ends.
Haven’s separate letting service may still be an option, depending on the age and other requirements of the holiday home. Haven’s current Fixed and Flexi terms say its letting service normally runs until the holiday home is more than seven years old from its date of manufacture, so the precise options available later depend on the caravan and the relevant agreement.
This is something I’d check with Haven before buying, particularly if your plans depend heavily on future letting income.
How Much Does It Cost to Own a Haven Static Caravan?
There isn’t one annual figure because site fees vary according to the park, pitch and location.
Haven currently lists site fees from £4,395 per year, although the actual amount for an individual holiday home can be considerably higher.
The site fee isn’t your only expense.
Owners are also responsible for running costs such as:
- gas and electricity
- water usage
- insurance
- local authority rates
- maintenance
- compulsory safety checks
- winterisation where required
Haven specifically states that these costs aren’t included in the site fee.
If you’re financing the caravan, you’d also need to include the finance payments in your own calculation.
Can You Live Permanently in a Haven Caravan?
No.
A Haven holiday home is for holiday use, not as a permanent residence. Haven states that its parks cannot be used as a permanent residence.
So when people ask how much it costs to “live in” a Haven static caravan, it’s important to distinguish between owning a holiday home and using a static caravan as your main home.
What Discounts Do Haven Owners Get?
Haven owners receive a number of benefits during the year.
The current owner benefits include:
- 15% off in participating bars, restaurants and shops
- 50% off sports and leisure activities
- 20% off Haven breaks for friends and family
- access to owner events and activities
The discounts are a perk of ownership rather than a reduction in your annual site fee.
How Does Haven Fixed Letting Work?
Fixed letting is an alternative to Let2offset.
You choose dates to make available through Haven’s letting service and receive an agreed amount for the accepted letting breaks.
The advantage is greater certainty over what you’ll receive for those dates.
It’s particularly useful if you want to let your caravan but don’t want to manage bookings, advertising and guests yourself.
Haven’s letting service handles tasks such as marketing, bookings and cleaning.
How Does Haven Flexi Letting Work?
Flexi letting works differently because your income is linked to the bookings Haven obtains for your holiday home.
This means the amount you earn can vary according to demand and the price achieved for the booking.
It gives you the opportunity to benefit from stronger demand at popular times, but there is less certainty about how much you’ll earn.
Haven therefore offers different letting options depending on whether an owner prioritises certainty or wants income linked more closely to holiday demand.
Can You Make a Profit by Letting a Haven Caravan?
Potentially, but there isn’t a guaranteed profit figure.
If you let for more than the Let2offset minimum, you could generate additional income. Whether that becomes an actual profit depends on what you receive from letting compared with your total costs.
For example, your calculation would need to include:
Letting income − site fees − running costs − maintenance − insurance − other expenses = your actual result.
You’d also need to consider the purchase price and depreciation of the caravan.
A caravan that generates £10,000 in letting income isn’t necessarily making £10,000 profit. The annual costs of ownership still have to be paid.
Can You Let the Caravan Yourself?
Haven says owners can arrange their own letting, including managing bookings and arranging cleaning, subject to the applicable park and licence rules.
Alternatively, you can use Haven’s own letting service.
If you’re thinking about private letting specifically because you want to maximise your profit, check the rules for the individual Haven park and caravan before buying. Don’t assume that every holiday home can be privately let on whatever terms you choose.
Managing it yourself can also mean considerably more work, particularly if you have frequent changeovers.
Is Let2offset Available on Every Haven Caravan?
No.
The scheme is only available on eligible holiday homes and selected parks, and Haven decides whether a particular holiday home can participate.
For current Let2offset eligibility, the holiday home must be less than seven years old from its date of manufacture when the Haven Year begins.
This means you shouldn’t assume that an older used caravan advertised for sale will qualify.
If Let2offset is an important reason for buying, confirm eligibility with Haven before you buy.
What Should You Check Before Buying?
If you’re considering a Haven caravan partly because of the letting income, ask for figures for the specific caravan and pitch rather than relying on general examples.
I’d want to know:
- the annual site fee
- the expected Let2offset income
- the caravan’s manufacture date
- how long it can participate in Let2offset
- the income available from additional letting
- the Fixed and Flexi letting rates
- the park’s rules on private letting
- annual running costs
- the permitted lifespan of the caravan on the park
- what happens when the caravan reaches that age
Haven’s own Let2offset examples are based on particular caravans and parks, and Haven states that actual income varies according to the holiday home, location and demand.
Is Haven Let2offset Worth It?
That really depends on why you’re buying the caravan.
If you already want a Haven holiday home and are happy to make certain dates available to holidaymakers, Let2offset could reduce the amount you need to pay towards your site fees.
If your main objective is to make money, however, I’d treat it as a business calculation rather than simply looking at the advertised letting income.
A caravan can generate useful income, but it also ties you to ongoing costs, park rules and a depreciating asset. Being able to let beyond the Let2offset minimum gives you more earning potential, but it also means giving up more of the time you could use the caravan yourself.
The best question to ask isn’t “How much can I make?” but “Would I still want this holiday home if the letting income was lower than expected?”
If the answer is yes, the letting income can help make ownership more affordable. If the answer is no, I’d do the sums very carefully before committing.
View Haven’s caravans for sale here.
Find out more about Let2offset here.
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