Responsible Camping Standards

How we care for hosts, land, water, animals, neighbours, and the next traveller.

ParkUp works because private landowners are willing to share safe places for travellers to park up.

That trust depends on every guest treating the land, the host, the neighbours, the water, the animals, and the next traveller with care.

These standards sit alongside NZ law, council rules, public-land camping rules, host instructions, and common sense.

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The simple rule

Leave the place clean, safe, and respected.

If you would not want it left at your home, do not leave it on someone else's land.

Why this matters

ParkUp is not just about finding somewhere to sleep. It is about creating a better way for travellers and landowners to meet.

Respect hosts

Hosts choose to open part of their home, land, driveway, paddock, or shared space. Follow their rules, communicate clearly, and remember that permission is personal.

Protect land and water

Greywater, toilet waste, rubbish, soap, food scraps, fires, vehicles, and pets all affect the places we move through. Care for the land as something alive, not as a backdrop.

Leave places ready for the next person

A good stay makes the next stay possible. Leave no mess, no damage, no awkward surprises, and no reason for a host to close the gate.

The ParkUp standards

Ten practical standards every guest is expected to follow.

For travellers: before you request a stay

Before sending a request, check the listing properly and make sure the stay fits your vehicle, your needs, and the host's setup.

I have read the listing properly.
I know whether I need to be self-contained.
I know whether toilet access is available.
I know where my greywater and toilet waste will go.
I know what to do with rubbish and recycling.
I know the arrival and departure expectations.
I understand the host's rules around pets, fires, noise, gates, and visitors.
I know whether my vehicle length and access needs suit the site.
I will leave the place clean, safe, and respected.

For hosts: make expectations clear

Clear listings prevent awkward stays. If something matters, say it before a traveller requests to stay.

Have I clearly stated whether toilet access is available?
Have I said whether travellers must be self-contained?
Have I explained rubbish and recycling rules?
Have I explained greywater and toilet waste rules?
Have I listed quiet hours?
Have I set pet rules clearly?
Have I set fire and cooking rules clearly?
Have I described access, gates, parking, and vehicle-size limits?
Have I noted hazards, soft ground, stock, waterways, neighbours, or sensitive areas?
Have I checked whether council, insurance, tax, or camping-ground rules may apply?

How ParkUp supports responsible stays

ParkUp is designed to reduce surprises and keep hosts in control.

Request-to-stay only. No instant booking. Hosts approve or decline each request.
Exact addresses stay hidden until the right approval or confirmation point.
Hosts set their own rules, facilities, vehicle limits, and stay conditions.
Travellers can check listing details before requesting.
Hosts and travellers can use messages to clarify expectations.
Support is available if something goes wrong.
Users who ignore host rules, dump waste, damage property, or behave unsafely may be removed from ParkUp.

Private land, public rules, and local responsibility

ParkUp connects travellers with private hosts, but private land is not a free pass. Council rules, district plans, freedom camping bylaws, camping-ground regulations, insurance, tax, fire restrictions, biosecurity rules, and conservation rules can all still apply.

Hosts are responsible for checking what applies to their property. Travellers are responsible for following host instructions and the law of the land they are on. These standards are practical guidance, not legal advice.

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