Sauna on an allotment: what to know before you buy

Allotments have rules of their own: your tenancy agreement and, above all, the rules of your site or society. Those rules decide, so the order of steps is different from putting a sauna on your own land. This is guidance, not legal advice.

The site rules come first

Allotment sites have their own rules on what may stand on a plot and what size it can be. They are often stricter than general building rules and differ from one site to the next.

On many sites a sauna is not provided for at all or is expressly excluded. You should know that before you order anything.

A conversation with the committee or your landlord (often the council or a society) saves a great deal of trouble. Ask for the answer in writing, at least by email. A new committee in two years should not mean the discussion starts over.

What speaks for a barrel sauna

A barrel sauna is not fixed to the ground: it stands on supports, without a foundation, and can be moved in one piece.

That may help in the conversation, but it does not replace consent if the rules do not allow it.

If you pour a concrete base, that argument falls away.

Wood-fired stove on an allotment

The most common sticking point. Plots are small and close together, so the smoke goes straight to the neighbour. Unlike on a larger private plot, there is no distance to solve the problem by itself.

Many sites restrict open fires and burning. Ask directly before choosing the stove type, because that decision can only be changed later by rebuilding.

A tall flue and dry wood solve most practical problems, but they do not replace permission.

Electric stove on an allotment

For getting on with others on the site it is often simpler: no smoke, no smell, no reason to complain.

But it needs a sufficiently powerful supply, and on many sites the electricity is limited. 8 kW can simply be too much.

Find out the available power on your plot before you decide. The committee or site manager will know. Any electrical work must be done by a qualified electrician.

The practical order

First the site rules and a talk with the committee.

Then check the available power, if you are thinking of an electric stove.

Only then choose the size and model.

Ordering a sauna before these three steps is the commonest route to an expensive surprise.

What else to think about

Access for delivery. Our kit comes on a pallet of about 240 × 120 × 120 cm and roughly 800 kg, delivered by haulier with a tail-lift to the kerb. Paths on allotment sites are often narrow, so check that the vehicle can reach your plot, and that two people can carry the parts in from the nearest point.

Security over the winter, when you may not be on site for several months.

Water: if the site turns the water off in winter and you plan a shower at the sauna, the pipework has to be drained.