Living in a box

Not quite, but how about living in your car? We’ve all heard of people packing up and going to live in a motor home, but this is not the same thing. We’re also not talking about those whose Missus kicked them out either! No, this is full-on living in your car.

Is it legal though?

Hmm, we thought you might ask. Yes and no. It depends where you decide to park your car to live in it. There are three different types of sites to choose from. An unauthorised site is pretty obvious regarding whether it is legal. This would be any public space such as a street or car park. Imagine how unimpressed you would be to find someone camping outside your house. We’re sure you would be quick to call the police. Not a legal option then.

Authorised sites

Onto the authorised sites then. These could be privately owned or council owned but will cost you to park there. In the same way as when you legitimately go camping; you’d expect to pay a fee for the “pitch”. At least you would be able to use the communal facilities they have. Scotland is the only country in the UK where you can legally “free camp”.

There are plenty of council sites around the UK (around 5000) so a good choice, however, they are often located near landfill sites or the motorway. They could also have other not-so-pleasant neighbours to put up with. Think carefully if your car is rather expensive.

Private sites

A few more in the UK than the council sites (about 7000), private sites might offer you a bit more protection and make you feel safer. These are the ones mentioned previously, generally used by campers and holidaymakers. This isn’t to say you would be welcome if you said you were sleeping in your car. Maybe have a tent to hand then.

Always make sure you have permission to stay on the land, private or council owned. If you don’t, you risk a visit by the local constabulary and being “asked” to move along.

Still thinking about it?

Okay, well as you know, whenever you move, you need to let the DVLA know. Poses a bit of a problem if you don’t have a physical address. Make sure you have a very good friend or family member who won’t mind you using their address as your “care of” address.

To conclude, you can legally live in your car as long as you get permission to park and stay wherever it is you decide to go. It probably isn’t a long-term solution to any problems, but it definitely beats sleeping under a bridge.

Even if you do decide life on the open road is for you, you’ll still need to make sure your insurance is up to date. Make sure yours is by clicking on our cheap car insurance, where we compare hundreds of providers. Get started now by filling out this 3-minute form.