Living in a caravan, full time
Your local council sets the rules.
Common settings are family land, your own block or a caravan park.
This guide also covers mail, registration, insurance and how to work out the cost.
Updated . 9 min read • Lifestyle
Your local council decides whether you can live in a caravan on a given block, and no national rule covers it.
Councils treat parking a van and living in it as separate questions, so check both.
- Who decides - your local council (under its planning and land-use rules)
- Common settings - family or private land, or a park (each carries its own conditions)
Your council decides whether you can live in a van
No national rule covers living in a caravan full time. Each council decides, under its planning and land-use rules, whether a van can stand as a permanent home on a piece of land.
Councils treat living in a van and parking one as separate questions. Some councils allow a van on a driveway for years but not anyone sleeping in it, and some the reverse.
Common settings are family or private land, an approved rural property, or a long-stay site in a caravan park. Each carries its own conditions, and each still sits under the council's planning rules.
Council rules, state by state
Our guide to where can I park my caravan reads council material state by state, with a section on living in a caravan.
General information only
This guide is general information, not advice about your block or your circumstances. Confirm the current position with your council and your insurer before you commit.
Mail and registration, kept current
Living full time in a van means no fixed street address, and many everyday services expect one. Sort these before you set off.
A mail redirection or a private mailing address keeps letters and parcels reaching you while you are moving around. Set it up before you leave your last fixed address.
Registration and licensing
Your caravan and tow car must stay registered in their state, and renewal notices go to the address on file. Your driver's licence works the same way. Keep the address current with each transport authority so a renewal notice never goes to a house you have left.
Medicare, the electoral roll and banking
Medicare, the electoral roll and your bank all ask for a current address at some point. A mailing address often covers this. Each service sets what it accepts, so check with each one.
Anything address-dependent
List anything else tied to a street address, such as a regular GP or a gym membership, and sort it before you go.
How to work out what full-time living costs
Full-time costs come from the same list as any other caravan ownership, plus wherever you choose to stay each night. Registration, insurance, servicing and tyres do not change because you live in the van rather than holiday in it.
Site fees are what changes, because you pay for somewhere to stay most nights of the year. A long-stay park site, a private-land arrangement and free or low-cost camping cost very different amounts. The mix you choose makes the biggest difference to the total.
Our caravan running costs guide sets out how to work out your annual figure. Use it as the base, then add your site fees.
More nights off-grid means fewer site fees
Every night in a free camp instead of a paid powered site lowers the site-fee total. What a van needs to cover water and power for days at a time is in off-grid caravan capability. A worked example of camping and fuel for two is in what a lap of Australia costs.
What to look for in a van that will be home
Living in a van puts daily demand on its power and water. Compare payload, water capacity and power capacity together. If laundry and refills are daily jobs, look for vans with a washing machine and larger water tanks.
Call your insurer before you move in. Some policies set different conditions for a van used as a permanent home. Our caravan insurance guide covers how to read a policy. Add the permanent-home question to your list.
Full-time living questions, answered
Is it legal to live in a caravan full time in Australia?
Your council decides, under its planning and land-use rules, and no national rule covers it. Councils treat parking a van and living in it separately, so ask about both.
Do I need to change my address if I live in a caravan full time?
Yes, the same as when you move house. Set up a mail redirection or a private mailing address, then update your transport authority, Medicare and the electoral roll, checking which addresses each accepts.
Does my caravan need to stay registered if I am living in it?
Yes. A caravan you live in still needs registering and renewing in its state, and renewal notices go to the address on the registration.
Will my caravan insurance still cover me if I live in the van full time?
Ask your insurer before you move in. Some policies set different conditions or exclusions for a van used as a permanent home, so check your own policy document.
Can I live in a caravan on a family member's property?
You can if the council allows people to live in a caravan on that land. Ask the council for how long and under what conditions before you rely on it.
Choosing a van to live in
Water, power and payload matter more when a van is a home rather than a holiday. Start with what decides how long a van can stay off-grid.