Single motorhome or campervan hire
Buy one motorhome or campervan and hire it out to holidaymakers on weekends and in the summer.
- £15k-60k
- Side hustle
- From home
Estimates for a small start in the UK, not guarantees.
Official data
10,432 UK companies in this field, 38% registered in the last 2 years
SIC 77110 “Renting and leasing of cars and light motor vehicles”. Source: Companies House, November 2026.
What it is
You own one motorhome or campervan and rent it for weekends, weeks and school holidays. You handle bookings, handovers, cleaning and basic maintenance yourself, usually from your own driveway or a nearby storage site.
Your first three steps
- Check local hire prices and booking sites to see what similar vans charge, then work out your break-even number of nights
- Get quotes for specialist motorhome hire insurance before you buy a vehicle
- Write simple hire terms, a handover checklist and a damage form, then list the van on a peer-to-peer or hire booking site
Who pays
Couples, families and friends wanting a UK break without owning a vehicle, plus people trying motorhome life before buying.
How it makes money
A nightly or weekly hire fee, with extras such as bedding, camping kit, extra mileage and a refundable deposit. Prices are higher in peak season.
Skills that help
- Customer service and clear communication
- Basic vehicle know-how and cleaning
- Organised with bookings and paperwork
Watch out for
- Standard motor or private insurance is unlikely to cover paid hire, so check you have proper hire and reward cover
- Check vehicle licensing, MOT, gas and electrical safety checks, and whether the driver licence category suits the vehicle weight
- Check driver age and licence rules for hirers, and take a deposit
- Depreciation, repairs and storage costs can eat into profit, so allow for them
- Check whether your mortgage, landlord or council allows parking a hire vehicle at home
Deep research report · UK
Everything you need to start: single motorhome or campervan hire
Researched with live web search for United Kingdom: real startup prices, the licences and rules, what others charge, a break-even example, how to find your first customers and a 30-day launch plan. With sources.
- Startup costs with real prices
- Licences, registration and rules
- Pricing: what others charge
- Break-even example
- Finding your first customers
- 30-day launch plan
- Risks and how to reduce them
Questions people ask
How much does it cost to start a campervan hire business?
Estimates suggest startup costs are typically around £15,000 to £60,000, depending mainly on the vehicle you buy. Depreciation, repairs and storage costs can eat into profit, so allow for them.
How much can I earn hiring out one motorhome?
Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around £500 to £2,500, depending on the season, your booking rates and the vehicle. Allow for depreciation, repairs and storage costs, which can reduce what you keep.
What insurance and rules apply to motorhome hire?
Check that you have proper hire and reward insurance, as standard motor cover is unlikely to include paid hire. Also check vehicle licensing, MOT, gas and electrical safety, driver licence category, hirer age rules, and whether your mortgage, landlord or council allows parking it at home.
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