How to get an allotment in the UK

Getting an allotment usually means applying to your council and then waiting. You can shorten the wait by looking beyond the council list, asking for a smaller plot, and keeping in touch. Here's how to go about it, and where the rules differ across the UK.

1. Find out who runs allotments where you live

Start with your local council. GOV.UK has a service that takes your postcode and points you to your council's allotment page.

Depending on where you live, allotments may be run by:

• your district, borough, city or unitary council;
• a parish or town council (in parts of England and Wales);
• a self-managed allotment association that leases the site from the council;
• a private landowner, church, charity or company.

Ask your council whether it has a list of all the sites in your area, not just the ones it manages itself.

2. Apply, and get on every list you can

Applying is usually an online form or an email. You'll normally need to live in the area the council covers.

If there's a waiting list, ask:

• whether each site has its own list or there's one list for the whole area;
• whether you can be on more than one list;
• how you'll be contacted, and what happens if you miss an offer.

Then look for association-run and private sites nearby and join their lists too.

3. Ask about smaller or overgrown plots

Smaller plots often come up sooner, and they're easier to manage in your first year. Ask whether the site offers half or quarter plots, and whether you'd accept an overgrown plot. Our guide to plot sizes explains poles and square metres.

4. Check the rules before you sign

When you're offered a plot, read the tenancy agreement. Check the rent and when it's due, what you can build, whether bonfires, hoses, hens or bees are allowed, and how much of the plot you're expected to cultivate. Allotment law describes an "allotment garden" as a plot of up to 40 poles mainly used to grow fruit and veg for the tenant and their family, so selling produce may not be allowed.

Your rights by nation

England and Wales. If a council thinks there's demand for allotments, it must provide enough of them. Six registered electors in the area can ask the council in writing to consider whether it has a duty to provide them. The law doesn't set a time limit for offering you a plot.

Scotland. Councils must keep a waiting list and take reasonable steps to keep it to no more than half the number of allotments they have, with no one on the list for more than five years in a row.

Northern Ireland. Allotments come under different legislation, and what's on offer varies by council. VERIFY: confirm the current NI statute and whether councils have a duty to provide allotments

FAQs

Can I get an allotment if I rent my home?

Usually yes. Councils normally ask that you live in their area, not that you own your home. Check your council's eligibility rules.

How long is the wait for an allotment?

It varies hugely between areas and sites. Your council or site secretary can tell you roughly where you are on the list. We don't publish waiting-list figures because they change constantly.

Can I share an allotment with a friend?

Some sites allow joint tenancies or a named co-worker. Ask before you agree to share, because some tenancy agreements don't allow subletting.