Beach Huts

Where are the beach huts?

There are currently 59 Havant Borough Council (HBC) owned beach huts and 319 privately owned beach huts along Hayling Island seafront.

Frequently Asked Questions

HBC Owned Beach Huts

How long can I rent a HBC owned beach hut for?

HBC owned beach huts are rented on an annual basis and can be rented from the 1 April to the 31 March. We do not offer any short-term rents (for example daily / weekly / monthly).

How much will a HBC owned beach hut licence cost? 

The Council decides the prices for services on an annual basis. Some charges or fees are set by the government for us, and others we are allowed to set within their rules. Residents residing within the Borough of Havant are provided with a concession to the licence fee. 

View our HBC fees and charges.

How do I apply for a HBC owned beach hut?

To apply to join the waiting list you can call HBC Customer Service Centre on 02392 446019 or send an e-mail to techsupportteam@norsesoutheast.co.uk

Please note Norse South East Ltd are the managing agents for HBC owned beach huts. 

How long will I need to wait for a HBC owned beach hut?

It is impossible to give accurate waiting times due to the rate of turnover however you can expect to wait at least five years for a beach hut.

What happens when I reach the top of the HBC owned beach hut waiting list?

When you reach the top of the waiting list and a beach hut becomes available, we will contact you to confirm your interest and arrange a viewing. You will then have seven days to accept or decline the offer.

What happens once I have viewed a HBC owned beach hut, and want to accept?

Upon acceptance of a beach hut an account and invoice will be raised for the pro rata amount of the remaining year (1st April – 31st March). Once the invoice has been paid a licence will be e-mailed / posted to you to be signed. The signed copy of the licence will need to be returned to either techsupportteam@norsesoutheast.co.uk or Norse South East Ltd, 2 Penner Road, Havant, Hampshire, PO9 1QY. Once we have received a copy of your signed licence, we will arrange for you to collect the beach hut keys.

What happens if I decide to decline the offer of a HBC owned rental beach hut? 

Should you wish to decline the beach hut offered you will remain at the top of the waiting list for a secondary offer (subject to availability). Should you decline both offers, or we receive no response, your details will be removed from the waiting list. If you decide to apply for a beach hut after this, you will re-join the bottom of the waiting list.

Who do I contact if my allocated HBC owned beach hut requires maintenance?

Please contact our HBC Customer Service Centre on 02392 446019 should you wish to report any of the following in relation to a rented HBC beach hut:

• Maintenance request (roof felt/wooden panels)
• Re-paint
• Padlock or security bar fault
• Adverse weather or storm damage
• Tree, grass cutting or miscellaneous.

Please do not request updates or report enquiries via the Beachlands Office as they do not hold any information from the service operations team about your enquiry.

Privately Owned Beach Huts

Private owners pay an annual licence fee to HBC for the lease of the land. Private beach hut owners are responsible for the maintenance of their beach hut and adhering to the beach hut specifications which can be found under ‘Schedule One’ on the licence. Private beach hut owners can report local facility issues via our HBC Customer Services Centre on 02392 446019.

I want to sell a privately owned beach hut:

The Council do not actively get involved in the process of selling privately owned beach huts. We do recommend using local estate agents or social media groups to advertise the beach hut for sale. The current owner must request a ‘change of licence’ form prior to the sale of their beach hut. The form will only be released once the existing account has been checked and any outstanding balances settled. When selling a privately owned beach hut Norse South East must be advised of the progress of the sale and can only engage with the existing licensee. 

I want to buy a privately owned beach hut:

We do recommend using local estate agents or social media groups to find a beach hut for sale.

Completing a ‘change of licence’ form, what do I need to do?

The ‘change of licence’ form is to be completed by both, the current licensee(s) and the buyer. Please note that any form, which has blank or incorrect information provided i.e. names, will not be accepted. The responsibility to return the ‘change of licence’ form is that of the current licensee. The form must be returned to techsupportteam@norsesoutheast.co.uk or Norse South East Ltd, 2 Penner Road, Havant, Hampshire, PO9 1QY. All completed forms and new applications are required to be verified by Norse South East. The licence cannot be changed without this completed form and the annual licence fee will still be liable to the existing licensee. 

There is a change of licence fee for the new licensee. Who pays; the seller or the buyer?

The new buyer will be issued an invoice to make payment of the one-time transfer of licence fee of £124.00. This process can take up to 20 working days and the beach hut keys cannot be released until payment has been made.

How much will a private beach hut licence cost? 

The Council decides the prices for services on an annual basis. Some charges or fees are set by the government for us, and others we are allowed to set within their rules. Residents residing within the Borough of Havant are provided with a concession to the licence fee. 

View our HBC fees and charges.

Beach huts are now liable for business rates as they are classified as non-domestic buildings. A rateable value* is assigned to the beach hut and a bill calculated by the local council. This is in addition to the licence fee that you pay for the use of the hut.

You may be entitled to Small Business Rate Relief. If the rateable value is less than £12,000 and you do not pay business rates or get relief elsewhere in the borough already, you will have nothing to pay.

If you wish to apply for Small Business Rate Relief, please contact the Business Rates Team via email: Havant.Businessrates@secure.capita.co.uk

Further information can be found via https://www.havant.gov.uk/businesses/business-rates

*The rateable value of a Beach Hut is how the Valuation Office Agency rates it for taxing purposes.