• Home
• Housing Services
• Private Housing

Houseboats

There are no inland waterways within the borders of Thurrock, but about 3,000 miles of inland waterways are located throughout England and Wales, with a wide range of moorings. If you are thinking about living on a boat you need to understand the practicalities involved.

If you own a boat you are required to apply for a licence, a Boat Safety Certificate and insurance:

• the licence is issued by the navigation authority - most waterways are the responsibility of British Waterways or the Environment Agency and each authority runs a separate licensing system;
• the safety certificate is like an MOT and lasts four years;
• for British Waterways, your boat must have insurance covering damage that the boat might do to third parties.

Useful links

• British Waterways
• The Environment Agency - Boating
• Boat Safety Scheme
• Association of Inland Navigation Authorities
• Residential Boat Owners Association
• Waterscape

Back to Top