Mooring Licence Agreement Template (UK)
Updated on 13 August 2026
A mooring or berth agreement is what a marina, harbour authority or private mooring owner uses to let a boat owner keep their vessel in a particular spot. In the UK it is drafted as a licence, not a lease, and getting that distinction right matters: under the House of Lords' decision in Street v Mountford, what makes an arrangement a tenancy rather than a licence is exclusive possession of the space for a term at a rent, regardless of what the parties call it — and a berth-holder normally does not have exclusive possession of the water and the marina's infrastructure around them.
US-style 'boat slip lease' templates import a leasehold framing that does not fit UK mooring practice and skips the questions that matter here: the dimensions that decide whether the boat fits the berth, real insurance minimums, a storm plan, and a lawful route to unpaid mooring fees. This template is built as a licence, with those gaps filled.
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Mooring (Berth) Licence Agreement
- Date:
- Licensor:
- ,
- Licensee:
- ,
This is a licence, not a tenancy. The Licensor grants the Licensee a licence to use the berth described below for the vessel described below. The Licensee does not have exclusive possession of the berth or the surrounding water and infrastructure, and the Licensor retains the rights described in this Agreement, including the right to reassign the berth.
1. The berth
- Marina / mooring:
- Berth reference:
- Length:
- Depth at low water:
- Utilities included:
2. The vessel
- Vessel:
- Length overall:
- Beam:
- Draft:
3. Term and reassignment
The licence runs from to . Either party may end it by giving at least days' written notice. The Licensor may reassign the vessel to a comparable berth on reasonable notice for dredging, maintenance, safety or operational reasons, at the Licensor's cost.
4. Charges
The mooring fee is per , payable in advance. A security deposit of is payable before the licence begins, refundable at the end less any amount properly due. Late payments carry interest at percent per month.
Utilities are metered and charged separately in addition to the mooring fee.
5. Insurance
The Licensee shall keep the vessel insured throughout the term with third-party liability cover of at least , including wreck removal cover, and shall provide a certificate of insurance before the vessel takes the berth and on each renewal.
6. Marina rules and liveaboard
The Licensee and their guests shall comply with the marina's rules and any relevant harbour authority byelaws. The berth must not be used for any commercial activity or chartering without the Licensor's written consent.
No person may live aboard the vessel at this berth.
7. Severe weather
The Licensee shall keep a local contact able to move or secure the vessel: . On a severe weather warning affecting the marina, the Licensee shall secure or remove the vessel within hours. If the Licensee and the contact cannot be reached, the Licensor may take reasonable measures to secure the vessel at the Licensee's cost.
8. Pollution and waste
The Licensee must not discharge oil, fuel or sewage into the water, must use the pump-out facilities provided, and must report any spill immediately to the Licensor and, where required, to the relevant authority.
9. Non-payment and abandoned vessels
If charges remain unpaid after fourteen days' written notice, the Licensor may withhold services, deny access to the berth, and exercise any right it has under the general law or under the rules of the relevant harbour or navigation authority in respect of unpaid charges for the vessel, including any right to detain or, following the proper procedure, arrange the sale of the vessel. If the vessel is left at the berth with charges unpaid and the Licensee cannot be reached, the Licensor may treat it as abandoned and follow the applicable procedure.
10. General
This Agreement is governed by the laws of England and Wales. Nothing in this Agreement affects the Licensee's statutory rights.
Licensor
Date:
Licensee
Date:
Draft it as a licence, deliberately
The distinguishing feature of a tenancy is exclusive possession — the right to keep everyone else out, including the landlord, for a defined term at a rent. A mooring holder can typically use their allotted space but the marina retains access to the pontoons, water and surrounding infrastructure, and can usually move the boat to another berth for operational reasons. That points towards a licence rather than a tenancy, and this template is drafted that way expressly, with the marina's right to reassign a berth on reasonable notice stated as one of its terms.
Getting this labelling right is not just tidiness: a document that accidentally grants exclusive possession for a term at a rent risks being treated as a tenancy whatever it is called, with consequences for how it can be ended that a marina operator would not want.
Describe the berth and the boat by dimension
This template records the marina and berth reference, the berth's length, width and the depth of water alongside it, and the utilities that come with it — shore power, water and pump-out access. Against that it records the vessel's length overall, beam, draft and air draft. Recording both sides is what prevents the two disputes that dominate mooring arrangements: a boat that does not fit the space, or is charged for a bigger berth than it was given.
Set insurance minimums and get evidence before the boat moors
This template requires a minimum third-party liability limit and cover for wreck removal, with the certificate produced before the vessel takes the berth rather than only if asked for later. Wreck removal is the clause most often missing and most expensive when it bites — a vessel that sinks alongside a pontoon has to be raised, and the cost lands on whoever cannot show cover.
Write the storm plan in
In exposed moorings and marinas, severe weather warnings routinely require boats to be additionally secured or, in some cases, moved. This template makes that an express term: the owner nominates a local contact able to attend, agrees a deadline measured from a severe weather warning, and authorises the marina to take reasonable protective measures at the owner's cost if the owner cannot be reached.
Give the mooring owner a lawful route to unpaid fees
The widely copied free template has no remedy for unpaid dockage beyond an uncapped daily charge. This template adds interest on late payment, a right to withhold services, and an express reservation of any right the mooring owner has to detain or, ultimately, sell the vessel for unpaid charges under the general law and any specific statutory procedure that applies to the particular waterway or harbour authority, together with a written-notice-and-cure process before any of that is exercised.
Clause-by-clause guide
- The berth
- The marina or mooring, the berth reference, dimensions and utilities — and confirmation that this is a licence to use the berth, not a tenancy.
- The vessel
- Length overall, beam, draft and air draft, alongside the make, year and identification details.
- Term and reassignment
- The term, notice to end it, and the marina's right to reassign the vessel to a comparable berth on reasonable notice.
- Charges and utilities
- The mooring fee, billing period, deposits, and metered utilities.
- Cancellation and refunds
- A single notice-based cancellation regime applied to the defined charges.
- Insurance
- Minimum third-party cover and wreck removal, with the certificate produced before berthing.
- Storm and severe weather
- The owner's local contact, the deadline to secure or move the vessel, and the marina's authority to act at the owner's cost.
- Pollution and waste
- No discharge of oil, fuel or sewage, and a duty to report a spill.
- Non-payment and lien
- Interest, withdrawal of services, and the reservation of any lawful right to detain or sell the vessel for unpaid charges.
- Abandoned vessels
- The process where a vessel is left with fees unpaid and the owner cannot be reached.
UK compliance checklist
Mooring arrangements sit across the licence/tenancy distinction, harbour authority byelaws and the general law on unpaid charges.
Draft the arrangement so it functions as a licence, not a tenancy
A tenancy is created by the grant of exclusive possession for a term at a rent, whatever the document is called. Keep the marina's access rights and reassignment right in the document so it functions as a licence.
Street v Mountford [1985] AC 809Check the harbour authority or navigation authority's own byelaws
Many harbours, marinas on tidal waters and inland navigation authorities set their own rules on mooring, dredging responsibility and removal of vessels, separate from the mooring agreement itself. Check them before finalising the terms.
Require evidence of insurance before the vessel moors
Set a minimum third-party liability limit and require wreck removal cover, with the certificate delivered before the boat takes the berth.
Confirm sewage discharge restrictions for the water
Discharge of sewage is restricted in many inland and inshore waters, and marinas commonly require use of pump-out facilities. Check the position for the specific water body.
Know the position on unpaid mooring fees and abandoned vessels
The general law on liens over chattels, and specific harbour or navigation authority powers, can each provide a route to recovering unpaid mooring fees or dealing with an abandoned vessel. Confirm which applies to your mooring before relying on a contractual clause alone.
How to complete the mooring licence agreement
- Identify the berth. Add the marina or mooring, the berth reference, dimensions and utilities included.
- Record the vessel by dimension. Enter the length overall, beam, draft and air draft, plus make, year and identification details.
- Set the term and charges. Add the start and end dates, the mooring fee and billing period, and any deposit.
- Set the insurance requirement. Enter the minimum third-party cover and confirm the certificate has been supplied.
- Agree the storm plan. Name the owner's local contact and the deadline for securing or moving the vessel in severe weather.
- Sign. Both parties sign before the boat takes the berth.
Frequently asked questions
Is a mooring agreement a lease or a licence?
Usually a licence. What creates a tenancy is exclusive possession of the space for a term at a rent, and a mooring holder typically shares access to the pontoons and infrastructure with the marina, which also keeps a right to move the boat for operational reasons. This template is drafted as a licence for that reason.
Why does the agreement need the boat's beam and draft?
Because they decide whether the boat fits the berth safely. Recording length, beam, draft and air draft prevents the two most common mooring disputes: a boat that fouls the next berth, or one that grounds at low water.
Can a marina move my boat to a different berth?
Under this template, yes, on reasonable notice and for operational reasons such as dredging or maintenance — which is also part of what keeps the arrangement a licence rather than a tenancy, since exclusive possession of one specific space is not being granted.
What insurance should I have for a mooring?
A minimum third-party liability limit appropriate to the vessel, plus wreck removal cover — raising a vessel that has sunk alongside a berth is the exposure most owners overlook. Provide the certificate before the boat takes the berth rather than waiting to be asked.
Can the marina keep or sell my boat over unpaid fees?
Possibly, depending on the general law on liens over chattels and any specific powers a harbour or navigation authority holds — this varies by mooring and is not something a licence agreement alone creates. The agreement should reserve those rights and set a notice-and-cure process; the actual enforcement follows whatever legal route genuinely applies.
What should the agreement say about storms?
Who must secure or move the boat, by when, measured from a severe weather warning; who the marina contacts if the owner is away; and whether the marina may act at the owner's cost if nobody responds.
Do I need permission to live aboard at the mooring?
Usually yes. Living aboard is often restricted by the marina's own terms, by planning rules, and by council registration requirements for residential moorings. State the position in the agreement rather than assuming it.
Related templates
Disclaimer
This template and guide are for general information only. They are not legal advice, and no solicitor has reviewed or approved them. Harbour authority byelaws, lien rights and discharge restrictions differ by water body — confirm the rules that apply before using this document.
