Beach huts are privately owned wooden “micro-real-estate.” An official report records 459 of them along the promenade in Hove. They have no running water and no electricity.
Only locals can own one. To have a hut you must be a resident of Brighton & Hove; the licence also forbids selling to a non-resident and usually blocks resale during the first three years.
They’re unexpectedly expensive. In 2023 the price ranged from £25,000 to £35,000, plus an annual licence of around £500.
The colours aren’t entirely up to you either. Doors may be painted a single solid colour or in vertical stripes — which is why there are so many “candy-striped” doors in the photo. Under the updated rules, repainting has to be done at least once every two years.