In shortA mobile home can in principle only be installed on a campsite, a classified holiday village or a leisure residential park, on a pitch you pay for every year. A modular home is placed on land where housing is allowed. The mobile home costs less up front but loses 10 to 20% of its value each year. The town hall confirms the rules that apply.
Key figures
- €25,000 to €60,000: price of a new mobile home (SeLoger, 9 February 2026)
- 10 to 20% a year: depreciation of a mobile home (SeLoger, 9 February 2026)
- €2,500 to €6,000 a year: pitch fee on a campsite (SeLoger, 9 February 2026)
- from €49,900*: starting price of the AIIA Glass tiny house, 25 m² (2026 catalogue)
- €15,000: micro-BIC turnover ceiling for an unclassified tourist furnished rental (Service-Public.fr, 27 July 2026)
You want to buy accommodation to rent out, and two options keep coming up: a mobile home on a campsite or a modular home on a plot of land. They look alike, since both arrive ready to live in. Yet they share neither the same legal status, nor the same budget, nor the same resale logic.
This article compares the two on six points: status, where each can be installed, cost, value over time, rental formalities and demand. It relies on the French Planning Code, Service-Public.fr, the campsite federation and the personal-finance press. It separates facts, assumptions and our own reading.
Modular home or mobile home: what is the difference?
A modular home is a building made in a workshop and then placed on land. A mobile home is a mobile leisure residence: a habitable vehicle that keeps its means of mobility, even if it never travels. This difference in status decides the location, the permit and the cost.
The French Planning Code defines a mobile leisure residence as a habitable land vehicle used for a temporary or seasonal leisure stay. It can be towed, but the Highway Code forbids driving it on the road (Article R. 111-41, checked on Légifrance on 4 November 2026).
| Criterion | Mobile home | Modular home |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Mobile leisure residence | Building with a fixed structure |
| Mobility | Keeps wheels and drawbar | None, delivered to the plot |
| Location | Campsite, classified holiday village, leisure residential park | Land where housing is allowed |
| Ground | Rented pitch | Your own land (bought or already owned) |
An AIIA modular home has a galvanised steel structure and is made in a workshop in 6 to 8 weeks. For an overview of buying one, read the complete guide to modular homes and tiny houses.
Where can you install a mobile home or a modular home to rent it out?
In principle, a mobile home can only be installed in three kinds of place: a leisure residential park, a holiday village classified as light accommodation, or a lawfully created campsite (Article R. 111-42 of the Planning Code). A modular home goes on land where the local urban plan (PLU) allows housing. The town hall always confirms the rules that apply.
In a private garden, a mobile home is banned while it keeps its means of mobility. Without them, it becomes a building: a prior declaration up to 20 m², a building permit above, according to Service-Public.fr (page checked on 8 April 2026).
Another limit: Article R. 111-44 rules out pitches sold outright or rented for more than two years, apart from exceptions dated before 1 October 2011. You therefore do not own the ground.
The order of 17 February 2014 requires campsites to give a standard notice for yearly pitch rental (Annex II, Légifrance). It provides for a one-year renewable contract, with compensation terms if it is not renewed. A sales commission fixed in advance may also apply. Read the length and terms of the pitch contract.
For a modular home, the land is the first condition. The PLU says whether housing is allowed on your land, and the town hall confirms it. To check yours, see the installation and permit rules and then choosing the land.
On a campsite, removable or transportable structures for leisure use fall under the light leisure dwelling (HLL) regime, whose number is capped (Article R. 111-38). The exact classification of an AIIA unit is not publicly documented: have the town hall confirm it. Installing tiny houses on a campsite explains this framework.
What budget should you plan for each option?
A mobile home costs less to buy, but it comes with an annual pitch fee. A modular home needs a larger initial budget, with land and connections to plan. Compare the total cost over ten years, not just the entry price.
| Item | Mobile home | AIIA modular home |
|---|---|---|
| Purchase | New: €25,000 to €60,000; used from €10,000 (SeLoger, 9 February 2026) | 2026 catalogue starting prices: Fold €35,500*, Glass €49,900*, Line €52,000* |
| Location | Pitch fee of €2,500 to €6,000 a year (SeLoger) | Land to buy, or already owned |
| Connections | See the pitch contract | Water and electricity, to be arranged with a local professional |
| Formalities | Depend on the place and the contract | Prior declaration or permit depending on floor area |
\* Prices exclude tax. Mobile home prices come from the press, with no tax details.
The AIIA base price includes turnkey delivery, habitable on delivery, the galvanised steel structure, high-performance insulation, aluminium joinery with double glazing, and interior electrics and plumbing. It excludes the land, the connections, the administrative formalities and the options.
To go through each line, read how much a turnkey modular home costs and what turnkey includes. For options, see finishes and options.
What happens to the value of each type of accommodation over time?
A mobile home loses value every year: 10 to 20% a year according to SeLoger, for a lifespan of 15 to 20 years. The gain on resale is therefore close to zero. For a modular home, AIIA publishes no depreciation rate or resale value, and none should be promised.
Empruntis (28 August 2026) gives another estimate: about 30% in the first year, then about 10% a year on average. The sources differ: keep a range, not a single figure.
Take an assumption, not a forecast. A new mobile home at €40,000, depreciating 15% a year, is worth about €7,900 after ten years. With a pitch fee of €4,000 a year, the same owner has paid €40,000 in pitch fees over the period. These values are rounded and illustrative, to be replaced by your own quotes.
For a modular home, value depends on the land, the location and the local market. It cannot be promised. AIIA gives no figure for lifespan; the manufacturer's warranties relayed by AIIA cover 10 years on the structure, 5 years on waterproofing and 3 years on installations.
To understand these warranties, see the warranties of a modular home. If you are comparing with conventional building, prefabricated or traditional house completes the picture.
What formalities do you need to rent it out?
A modular home rented to holidaymakers is a tourist furnished rental. Registration with the town hall is due to become compulsory everywhere with the national online service, planned for the fourth quarter of 2026 (Service-Public.fr, 27 July 2026).
Ask your town hall what applies today. For a mobile home on a campsite, the pitch contract sets the rental rules first.
The standard notice of the 17 February 2014 order provides for agreement on any subletting terms. Ask for them in writing, with the commission that applies: this clause bears on your profitability.
On tax, the micro-BIC regime applies below a turnover ceiling. For 2025 income (declared in 2026), it is €15,000 for an unclassified furnished rental and €77,700 for a classified one. For 2026 income (declared in 2027), it stays at €15,000 for an unclassified rental and rises to €83,600 for a classified one. For 2026 income, the flat-rate allowance is 30% for an unclassified rental and 50% for a classified one (impots.gouv.fr, page updated 14 October 2026).
Above the ceiling, the actual regime applies. Consult an accountant: your situation changes the calculation.
These rules may still change. According to Legifiscal (3 November 2026), an amendment to the 2027 finance bill would cut the micro-BIC allowance from 50% to 30%. MPs adopted it during the examination of the first part, on 29 and 30 October.
The text is still under discussion: the next stages and the final text are not known (checked on 4 November 2026). Legifiscal does not distinguish classified from unclassified rentals. For details, read the tax treatment of a tiny house rented furnished.
Is rental demand the same on and off a campsite?
No. On a campsite, demand is carried by the sector's visitor numbers, but that does not guarantee an owner's yield. Off a campsite, demand depends on the place, the season and the platform. In both cases, no occupancy rate is a given.
The national outdoor-hospitality federation (FNHPA) counts 147.5 million nights in 2025 (+4.5% on 2024). At the end of March 2026, its bookings were up 0.3% on a year earlier. According to Insee, campsites in metropolitan France count 147.6 million nights in 2025 (April to September according to the page), of which 87.6 million on equipped pitches, about 59% (calculated from Insee figures of 23 July 2026).
These figures describe sector attendance. They say nothing about the income of an individual mobile home, which depends on the campsite, its season and its commissions.
For a modular home, the simulator on AIIA's Investir page starts from indicative assumptions: 65% average annual occupancy and costs at 30% of rental income. You enter the nightly rate of your local market. For the method, see the profitability of a modular accommodation and long-term or seasonal letting.
When should you choose a mobile home, and when a modular home?
Choose the mobile home if you have no land and want to test letting on a campsite with a moderate entry budget. Choose the modular home if you own or are buying buildable land and want a lasting asset. This reading is our opinion, not a rule.
| Your situation | Suitable option | Point to check |
|---|---|---|
| No land, testing the rental | Mobile home | Pitch contract, fee, subletting |
| Buildable land already owned | Modular home | PLU, prior declaration or permit |
| Tight entry budget | Used mobile home (from €10,000) | Condition, age, remaining lifespan |
| Letting all year or off-season | Modular home | Heating, insulation, local rules |
| Family use as well as letting | Modular home | Model choice by floor area |
For a small floor area, Glass (25 m², from €49,900*) is a starting point. For more room, Line (40 m², from €52,000*) is an option. If you are weighing a tiny house on wheels, read tiny house on wheels or fixed.
How do you compare two offers before signing?
Compare the ten-year cost, the legal status and the rental terms, in writing. Four checks help avoid unpleasant surprises. None replaces the town hall's opinion or that of a local professional.
- The place: ask the town hall whether the planned use (tourist letting) is allowed on the land, or read the campsite rules.
- The status: get the planning regime that applies to the unit confirmed in writing, with its floor area.
- The total cost: add purchase, pitch fee or land, connections, furniture, insurance, upkeep and commissions.
- The exit: estimate resale with a cautious assumption, without counting on it.
For a modular home, request an AIIA quote: the reply comes within 48 working hours. The configurator lets you pick a model first, and the simulator on the Investir page lets you test your assumptions. A land study is available on request, before any commitment.
What should you remember before choosing between a modular home and a mobile home?
The mobile home is campsite accommodation: cheaper up front, but depreciating each year and placed on ground you do not own. The modular home is a building: dearer at the start, it requires land accepted by the PLU and planning formalities.
The right question is not "which earns more?", since no figure is guaranteed. It is "what do I have: land, or only a budget?". If you have land, look at Glass or Line: the modular home deserves a costed study. If not, first compare campsite pitch contracts.
Next step: test your assumptions in the simulator, then request a quote within 48 working hours. The AIIA prices quoted are 2026 catalogue starting prices, standard finish. \* Prices exclude tax.
- service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F620%20(Service-Publi…
- legifrance.gouv.fr/codes/id/LEGISCTA000031721213/%20(Code%20de%…
- legifrance.gouv.fr/codes/section_lc/LEGITEXT000006074075/LEGISC…
- service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/actualites/A18880%20(Service-Pu…
- edito.seloger.com/conseils-d-experts/investir/investir-un-mobi…
- fnhpa-pro.fr/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/FNHPA-Dossier-de-…
- impots.gouv.fr/professionnel/questions/je-suis-micro-entrep…
- legifrance.gouv.fr/loda/article_lc/LEGIARTI000028621012%20(arr%…
- insee.fr/fr/statistiques/2015437%20(Insee,%20fr%C3%A9…
- empruntis.com/financement/investissement-locatif/rentabili…
- legifiscal.fr/actualites-fiscales/4715-location-nue-vs-loc…
- aiiahouse.com/fr/tarifs%20(AIIA,%20catalogue%202026)
Frequently asked questions
Can you place a mobile home in your garden to rent it out?
No, as long as it keeps its means of mobility. Without them, it becomes a building subject to a prior declaration up to 20 m² or a building permit above (Service-Public.fr). The town hall confirms the regime.
Is a mobile home more profitable than a modular home?
There is no universal answer. SeLoger cites a gross yield that can reach 10 to 12% for a mobile home, before pitch fee, depreciation and costs. For a modular home, everything depends on the land, the nightly rate and occupancy.
Can you let a modular home on Airbnb or Booking?
Yes, if tourist letting is allowed on the land. Registration with the town hall is due to become compulsory everywhere in the fourth quarter of 2026 (Service-Public.fr). Also check each platform's rules.
What is the price difference between a mobile home and a modular home?
A new mobile home costs €25,000 to €60,000 (SeLoger). AIIA models start at €35,500* (Fold), €49,900* (Glass) and €52,000* (Line). For a modular home, add the land, the connections and the formalities.
What warranties come with an AIIA modular home?
AIIA relays the manufacturer's warranties: 10 years on the structure, 5 years on waterproofing and 3 years on installations. No figure for lifespan is stated.
Does AIIA sell mobile homes?
No. AIIA offers 15 models from 21 to 160 m², all with a fixed galvanised steel structure, delivered to the client's land anywhere in France.
