Living on a boat in the UK: costs and rules

Around 35,000 boats hold a Canal & River Trust licence, and a growing share of them are homes. You can live afloat for far less than most houses cost, but the running costs are real and the rules are strict. This guide covers both.

Two ways to live aboard

With a home mooring. You rent a berth in a marina or on a private mooring and come back to it. To live there legally, the mooring needs residential planning permission. A leisure mooring does not let you live aboard, even if the marina is quiet about it.

As a continuous cruiser. You licence the boat without a home mooring and move on at least every 14 days, making genuine progress around the network. The Trust counted 8,825 boats without a home mooring in March 2026, up 3.6% on the year before. It suits people who enjoy moving. It's hard with children, a fixed job or poor health.

What it costs each year

Typical figures for a 57ft narrowboat, 2026:

• Licence: the Trust's average 12-month leisure licence was £1,185 before a 4.85% rise on 1 April 2026. Boats without a home mooring and wide beams pay a surcharge on top.
• Mooring: from a few thousand pounds a year for a rural leisure berth to well over £10,000 for a London residential berth.
• Council tax: payable on most residential moorings, usually in a low band.
• Insurance: a few hundred pounds a year. You need at least £2 million third-party cover to get a licence.
• Boat Safety Scheme examination: every four years, typically £150 to £200.
• Hull blacking: every two to three years, including lifting the boat out.
• Engine service: once a year or every 250 running hours.
• Heating and power: diesel, coal or wood for the stove, gas for cooking, and solar or a generator for electricity.

Is it cheaper than a house?

Usually, yes, to buy. A good used narrowboat sells for a fraction of the average UK house price. Running costs narrow the gap. A boat loses value over time where a house usually gains it, and you pay mooring fees for as long as you live aboard. Work out your yearly total before you commit, not just the purchase price.

Before you buy

• Sort the mooring first, or buy a boat that comes with one. Many buyers find a boat, then discover every residential berth near them has a waiting list.
• Pay for a full out-of-water survey. The Boat Safety Scheme certificate checks safety only. It says nothing about the hull.
• Spend a winter week aboard a hire boat or a friend's boat. Living afloat in January is the real test.

See boats for sale with a residential mooring or join the mooring waiting list.