The FTT (Property Chamber) is the specialist tribunal for park homes disputes under the Mobile Homes Act 1983 (as heavily amended by the Mobile Homes Act 2013). The most common application is a pitch fee review.
The statutory presumption
Under Chapter 2 Part 1 of Schedule 1 to the 1983 Act, on any annual review the pitch fee is presumed to change by the percentage change in the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) since the last review. The site owner (or occupier) can rebut the presumption but must justify departure.
Since 2 July 2023, CPI has replaced RPI as the default index in England.
Grounds for departing from CPI
- Costs of maintenance, improvement or repair to the site (site owner increase).
- Deterioration of the site's condition, amenity or services (occupier decrease).
- New pitch fee obligations imposed by law.
- Sums payable in respect of taxes and charges.
The site owner cannot recover expenditure that would have been part of ordinary maintenance under the site licence.
The review notice process
- Serve prescribed form Form 6 at least 28 days before the review date.
- If not agreed, the site owner (or occupier) applies to the FTT for determination.
- The tribunal decides on paper or after a short hearing (typically 30–60 minutes).
Common tribunal issues
- Site licence works dressed up as improvements.
- Deductions for loss of amenity: broken street lighting, unrepaired roads, closed communal facilities.
- Cumulative CPI: some site owners try to backdate missed reviews — the tribunal will consider fairness.
- Site rules disputes run on a parallel track under the Mobile Homes (Site Rules) (England) Regulations 2014.
Costs
Costs are limited by the general FTT no-costs regime but Rule 13 unreasonable-conduct costs are available.
Related
- [How to prepare a tribunal bundle](/guides/how-to-prepare-a-tribunal-bundle-for-the-property-chamber)
- [Tribunal fees and hearing costs — 2026](/guides/tribunal-fees-and-hearing-costs-a-2026-guide)
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between CPI and RPI for pitch fees?＋
England moved from RPI to CPI in July 2023. CPI is typically ~0.7 percentage points lower than RPI in a given year, so the statutory presumption is now materially lower.
Can the site owner increase for improvements?＋
Yes — if the improvement is not required by the site licence and a majority of occupiers consented, or the tribunal determines it just and reasonable.
How long does a pitch fee review case take?＋
3–6 months from application to decision, usually determined on the papers.
Ready to prepare your case?
Run the intake, get structured AI analysis with citations, and export a full tribunal-ready bundle as PDF.