Habitation Checks for Caravan and Motorhome Dealers: What They Cover

Last updated 29 September 2026.

A habitation check is the annual service of the living side of a touring caravan or motorhome: the gas, the electrics, the water system, the heating, the ventilation, the smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, and a damp test of the body. If you sell used leisure vehicles, it is also the best evidence you have that the unit was sound when it left your forecourt. This guide covers what the check includes, how often it should be done, the gas competence rules, how to present damp readings to a buyer, whether to do checks in-house or send them to an approved workshop, and what records to keep. There is a short section at the end for owners.

This is general guidance based on the published advice of the Approved Workshop Scheme, the two national caravan clubs and UK legislation as of September 2026, not legal or technical advice. Check the linked sources and your manufacturer’s warranty terms before you rely on a detail.

What does a habitation check cover?

A habitation check covers everything that makes the unit liveable, rather than the engine or the road. The Approved Workshop Scheme (AWS) lists the gas system and appliances (tested for safety, leaks and correct operation), the electrical wiring, sockets, fuses and battery performance, the taps, pumps, tanks and waste outlets, heating and ventilation, a damp inspection of seals, joints and internal areas, and a test of smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors for operation, placement and battery life (Approved Workshop Scheme: habitation checks).

The Camping and Caravanning Club says an AWS annual service carries out over 40 separate checks, and that on completion the workshop gives you a service checklist itemising every point checked, plus a separate damp report with moisture readings (Camping and Caravanning Club: servicing).

Two things a habitation check does not usually include:

• Full servicing of appliances. The fridge, cooker and space heater are normally only checked for correct functioning. If you want them serviced, ask for it.
• The motorhome’s base vehicle. The Caravan and Motorhome Club treats the habitation service and the base vehicle service as separate jobs, with the base vehicle following its manufacturer’s schedule at a commercial vehicle specialist (Caravan and Motorhome Club: why is a motorhome service important?). Some workshops arrange for a base vehicle garage to inspect the running gear, drivetrain and road lights on the same day (The Camping and Caravanning Club: servicing). Otherwise you book it separately.

Caravans: running gear is part of the service

A touring caravan service normally covers the chassis side too. The Camping and Caravanning Club says a caravan service covers the running gear, brakes and lights as well as the habitation side, where the water, gas, electrical and heating systems are checked and maintained (Camping and Caravanning Club: caravan care). When you book a caravan in, confirm the job sheet includes brakes and running gear, not just the habitation items.

How often should a habitation check be done?

Once a year. The Caravan and Motorhome Club recommends a service once a year by a trained professional, ideally before the touring season starts (Caravan and Motorhome Club: why is a caravan service important?). The Camping and Caravanning Club says at least once a year, or more often with intensive use. The AWS notes that most manufacturers recommend an annual check, and that for some units it is a condition of the warranty.

It is not a legal requirement for a privately owned unit. The Caravan and Motorhome Club says so for both caravans and motorhomes. What makes it matter is the warranty, the insurance and the buyer.

Why habitation checks matter when you sell used units

A current habitation check with a clean damp report is the difference between a unit a buyer trusts and one they want a discount on. On a touring caravan, run a CRiS check before you buy it in as well.

Warranty conditions. The Caravan and Motorhome Club says caravan warranties and cover policies often require regular annual servicing to stay valid, and that skipping a motorhome habitation service may void the warranty (Caravan and Motorhome Club). The AWS says many manufacturers and insurers require an annual check to keep warranty or cover valid. A missed service on a unit still under warranty is a problem the buyer will bring back to you. If you sell your own warranty with it, our guide to selling used warranties covers the rules on selling them.

Damp. Damp in a caravan or motorhome body is hidden until it is expensive. A reading taken before you buy, and another before you sell, tells you what you are dealing with and shows the buyer what state the unit was in when it left you.

The Consumer Rights Act. When you sell to a consumer, the goods must be of satisfactory quality, which includes safety, durability and freedom from minor defects. Anything you specifically drew to the buyer’s attention before the sale is not covered (Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 9). If a fault shows up within six months of delivery, it is taken not to have conformed on the day of delivery unless you can show it did (section 19). A dated habitation checklist and damp report are your evidence. Our Consumer Rights Act guide for dealers explains rejection, repair and the six-month rule in full.

Pre-sale habitation checks and handover

Do the check after preparation and before the unit goes on sale, then repeat the key items at handover. A simple routine:

1. Damp test on arrival. Before you commit to the price of a part exchange or trade purchase, take readings. A high reading changes what the unit is worth to you.
2. Full habitation check before advertising. Book it with an AWS workshop or your own qualified technician, and fix anything it finds.
3. Advertise with the result. State in the advert that the unit has a current habitation check and a damp report, and have both ready to show.
4. Handover demonstration. Show the buyer the gas, water, heating and electrics working, where the gas isolation valves and alarms are, and go through the checklist with them.
5. Get it signed. Ask the buyer to sign that they have received the checklist and damp report and had the handover. Keep a copy.

Gas safety rules for caravans and motorhomes

Anyone who works on the gas in a caravan or motorhome must be competent, but Gas Safe registration is only legally required when the unit is hired out. The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 do not apply to a self-propelled vehicle unless it is hired out in the course of a business or used to serve the public in a business run from the vehicle, and do not apply to a touring caravan unless it is hired out in the course of a business (GSIUR 1998, regulation 2(5)).

A Gas Safe Register technical officer, writing in the Register’s official magazine, puts it plainly: any person who works on a leisure accommodation vehicle must make sure they are competent to do so, and if the vehicle is intended to be hired out, the person or business doing the gas work must hold the appropriate qualification and be Gas Safe registered (Registered Gas Engineer: gas safety in leisure accommodation vehicles).

For privately owned tourers and motorhomes, the industry route is the Standards of Training in Gas Work (STGW) qualification. NCC Academy says diagnosis and repair of gas systems in privately owned touring caravans and motorhomes does not require Gas Safe membership, that STGW is needed for AWS compliance, and that it does not cover static caravans, hired vehicles or catering use, which need Gas Safe registration (NCC Academy: STGW gas training).

In practice:

• If you sell units to private buyers, whoever checks the gas should hold a current qualification such as STGW or be Gas Safe registered.
• If you also hire out motorhomes or caravans, the gas work on the hire fleet must be done by a Gas Safe registered engineer.
• Static caravans and holiday homes are outside the scope of this guide and follow the Gas Safe route.

Damp readings and how to present them to buyers

Give the buyer the damp report, not a verbal “it’s dry”. The Camping and Caravanning Club says the damp report gives moisture content readings, and that anything up to 15 per cent is considered normal. Above that, the workshop should advise you on what to do.

How to present readings well:

• Show the whole report, with the date and the name of whoever took the readings.
• Explain what normal looks like. Tell the buyer the Club’s 15 per cent guide, and point out where the readings sit against it.
• Disclose anything high, in writing. If an area reads above normal and you are selling the unit anyway, say so on the paperwork and reflect it in the price. Under section 9(4) of the Consumer Rights Act, a defect specifically drawn to the buyer’s attention before the sale is not a quality breach.
• Repair before you sell where you can, then retest.

Doing habitation checks in-house or outsourcing

Do them in-house if you have qualified staff and the volume, otherwise use an AWS workshop.

In-house suits dealers with a workshop and enough units to keep a technician busy. Your technician needs gas competence (STGW for private units, Gas Safe for any hire fleet). If you want your workshop listed as an approved workshop, the AWS says all members pass an annual inspection by independent assessors and comply with the scheme’s standards (Approved Workshop Scheme). Our guide to the NCC Approved Workshop Scheme for caravan dealers covers joining.

Outsourcing to a fixed or mobile AWS workshop suits smaller dealers. The AWS has over 550 fixed and mobile approved workshops across the UK. The clubs say AWS members display prices and labour rates, give a written estimate for work likely to go over £150 and normally guarantee repairs for at least six months.

How much does a habitation check cost?

The Caravan and Motorhome Club gives an average of £200 to £350 for a service, taking three to four hours. The AWS says a motorhome habitation check usually takes two to four hours, and that the price depends on the size and age of the vehicle, where you are, and whether repairs or specialist equipment are needed. Build it into your preparation costs.

Records to keep

For each unit, keep:

• the completed habitation checklist, dated, with the technician’s or workshop’s name
• the damp report with readings
• invoices for any repairs the check led to
• the service history you received with the unit, and any gaps in it
• the signed handover record

Common mistakes

Mistake	What to do instead
Buying in a unit without a damp test	Take readings before you agree a price. Damp repairs can wipe out the margin.
Assuming a motorhome habitation check covers the base vehicle	Book the base vehicle service separately, or with a workshop that arranges both.
Letting an unqualified person check the gas	Use someone with a current gas qualification such as STGW, or a Gas Safe registered engineer for any unit that is hired out.
Telling the buyer it is "dry" without a report	Hand over the dated damp report and explain the readings.
Not recording what was disclosed	Put known defects and high readings on the paperwork and get it signed.

For owners: getting a habitation check

If you own a caravan or motorhome, have a habitation check once a year, ideally before the season starts, and use an AWS workshop so you get a checklist and a damp report. Check your warranty and insurance terms, since both may require an annual service. If you are buying from a dealer, ask for the latest habitation checklist and damp report before you pay.

How Haswent helps

Haswent supports caravan and motorhome dealers as well as car and van dealers. Inspections let you build your own templates with your own sections and questions, so you can set one up for your pre-sale habitation checklist and handover, with photos and notes against each item and a printable branded report. Each unit’s record in stock management holds its condition and service records, task boards track preparation, and electronic signatures let the buyer sign the paperwork on their phone. Our free vehicle inspection checklist is a starting point for the base vehicle side.

Contact us for a demo.

Sources

• Approved Workshop Scheme: habitation checks for caravans and motorhomes
• Approved Workshop Scheme
• Camping and Caravanning Club: a guide to regular caravan and motorhome servicing
• Camping and Caravanning Club: caravan care
• Caravan and Motorhome Club: why is a caravan service important?
• Caravan and Motorhome Club: why is a motorhome service important?
• Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, regulation 2
• Registered Gas Engineer (Gas Safe Register): gas safety in leisure accommodation vehicles
• NCC Academy: STGW gas training for caravan service technicians
• Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 9 and section 19

Frequently asked questions