Top tips for buying a house with a narrowboat mooring

Hello and welcome! This post contains lots of advice on buying a canalside property. If you are wondering how to find properties for sale, take a look at this post instead.

The information here applies to properties backing onto Canal & River Trust canals. There are separate processes for Boating Businesses, and for various non-CRT waterways, including the Kennet & Avon Canal, the Montgomery Canal, the Bridgewater Canal, and the Lee Valley Regional Park.

Will the estate agent be able to advise me on moorings?

It's highly unlikely. Estate agents are rarely canal or narrowboat experts. I only know of a tiny handful of agents who read this website, so they probably won't know as much as you'll know after reading this post!

Estate agents do have an obligation to declare all the salient facts about a property, but they may fulfil this by passing on some sketchy information gleaned from the owner, and they may apply some rather creative licence when describing a canal bank or a towpath.

Mooring permission is always required

On most canals in England and Wales, the Canal & River Trust is the owner of the canal bed, and permission is therefore needed to obtain an exclusive right to occupy any part of the water space as a home mooring.

Does the Canal & River Trust have sole discretion?

Yes. To moor on the canal adjoining a residential property or a privately owned plot of land, you will need what was commonly known as an “End of Garden Mooring Agreement”. More recently these are referred to as “A Single Mooring Against Privately Owned Land”. Catchy, eh?

Are the moorings directly transferrable to me when I buy the property?

No, moorings are not transferrable when you sell a property. The mooring agreement almost always belongs to the person, not the property.

What, even if houses are advertised as having a mooring?

I see this time and time again. However loudly the estate agent or owner proclaims that the property "comes with a mooring", in 99% of cases this is not true.

It is very rare for a 'HOUSE' to have a mooring.

The mooring is generally tied to the person, not the property. A house only has a mooring:

• if there is a valid mooring in principle agreement (read on - I cover this later).
• if there are rights conferred by non-standard mooring rights and conditions pertaining to the property, as in the case of some older moorings or commercial moorings. These may include riparian rights (normally found on natural watercourses), or old British Waterways agreements with a lease or a fixed term of so many years. One of the reasons why a mooring application takes so long is that the Estates department may have to interrogate their archives to identify these anomalies.

In most cases, a house advertised as having a mooring fits into one of the following categories:

• it has a previous history of mooring
• it's location may have potential for creating a mooring
• it's been used as a launch point for a small vessel which is stored on the bank

This does not mean that it has mooring rights.

If the property has a mooring history, or a neighbouring property has a mooring, does it mean I'll get a mooring?

No. The property seller or the estate agent may think so, but despite their assurances, the new owner will soon find that this is not the case. When you apply for a mooring, the CRT will start afresh. They will:

• identify any ongoing historic mooring rights pertaining to the property
• carry out searches or feasibility studies
• identify operational or safety risks inherent in local conditions
• pay particular attention to any engineering or structural developments in the area since the mooring was previously authorised
• check that there are no environmental factors which would affect the application
• take into account any local or national policies which might preclude offering an agreement to a new owner.

As a general rule, a mooring agreement will not be granted if, for example, the site has been designated as a wildlife corridor, it's in close proximity to a canal structure, including locks and bridges, or it's on a bend where it could disrupt navigation or cause an obstruction.

Am I more likely to get a mooring if there is a past history of mooring?

No. The CRT may use the change of ownership as an opportunity to enforce new criteria which preclude future moorings.

What if the CRT owns a strip of land between my property and the bank?

There is a separate process called an “End of Garden Ground Agreement” for property where the owner’s land is separated from the canal by a strip of land owned by the CRT. In these cases a lease will normally be issued to create a mooring agreement against the CRT's land.

Once I have a mooring agreement, is it permanent?

Mooring agreements are subject to annual renewal. Generally speaking, renewal is likely, but it is not automatic - it depends on CRT policies and any local developments or changes which could make the continued use of the mooring inappropriate.

If a property owner allows the mooring agreement to lapse, or the mooring is left vacant for over a year, the CRT may require a reassessment before the mooring agreement can be restored. In theory, it may use this as an opportunity to enforce new criteria which preclude future mooring.

Can I moor more than one boat at the end of my garden?

No. Current CRT policy is that domestic mooring agreements will only be issued for a single boat on the offside (non-towpath) edge of the navigation.

Normally, permission for more than one boat will only be granted for an unpowered portable tender under 5 meters long.

All other applications for multiple boats must be submitted as part of a business (commercial) application.

What if there was a previous agreement for more than one boat?

The CRT has the right not to adhere to the terms of previous agreements. You will need to make a new application, and if the mooring is a domestic leisure mooring, you are very unlikely to get an agreement for more than one boat.

How long can my boat be when I moor against my land?

Any boat and tender must fit within the boundaries of the property and not overlap onto neighbouring land. Even where this was allowed in the past, the agreement will end when you buy the property, and your application will be subject to this rule.

Can I develop a brand new mooring?

A new mooring application involving groundworks, vegetation removal or dredging, can be a long and convoluted project. It may require a unique range of investigations, environmental surveys, searches, planning applications, and engineering considerations, which can go far beyond what is required for a property which already has a workable existing mooring.

The CRT does not guarantee water depth at any proposed mooring, and will not accept responsibility for dredging or clearance of water obstructions.

Who can apply for a mooring?

Before June 2021, only the property owner could apply for the mooring, so there was never any guarantee of a mooring for the new owner.

Since June 2021, it has been possible for either the seller or the buyer to apply for a "Single Long Term Mooring Against Private Residential Property or Land" specifying that it is for a "mooring in principle" in connection with a house sale and purchase.

A sensible owner will apply for this before marketing the property, so that they can attract a wider range of potential buyers, but most owners don't realise they can do this.

Can I apply for a mooring before offering, exchange, or completion?

Yes! The buyer can apply to the CRT, enclosing a covering letter to say that the application relates to a house purchase, giving the names of the relevant parties, specifying which individuals are the buyers, and which are the sellers.

You can download the CRT's application form here:

Note that the application must be made by post. Send your application to: Waterside Mooring Administration, Canal & River Trust, Fearns Wharf, Neptune St, Leeds, LS9 8PB. The fee is £90 (at the time of writing).

What happens next?

If approved, the CRT will hold the mooring open for 12 months to allow time for sale and completion. On completion, which must be proven via a solicitors letter or copy of the new deeds in the buyer’s name, the mooring agreement will be ‘activated’ in the new owner’s name.

What if the mooring in principle is not ready before completion?

The Canal & River Trust seem to try very hard to rush End of Garden applications through, (I have been quite impressed!) but in some cases they may take longer to grant a mooring than the legal transaction takes to complete. Bear in mind that they have to carry out searches, surveys and more, before they grant permission.

The reality is that you could lose out on the property, long before permission is granted. In that situation you have two options: proceed with the purchase at your risk, or put your foot down and ask your solicitor to make the purchase conditional upon getting the mooring.

A conditional purchase should be fine with the seller if they are confident that you’ll get permission, but you run the risk that in the meantime, you'll get gazumped, that the seller will decide not to sell after all, or that they'll want to renegotiate the price due to the delay.

Where can I get more information?

To find out more, visit this page on the CRT website. If you have any questions, bear in mind that the CRT's enquiry line staff are unlikely to be able to advise, as this is a specialist area of work. Ask to speak to the Waterside Mooring Administration team, or better still, write to them.

I wish you the best of luck obtaining your canalside home - and your mooring!