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California · reviewed September 2026

Seasonal RV site agreements in California

What California law says about seasonal and annual RV guests, sub-metered electricity, sales tax and online signatures — and the clauses your agreement should carry because of it. Written for park owners, not lawyers.

Guest or tenant?California has a dedicated RV park law with three tiers by length of stay: an 'occupant' (30 days or less) can be removed with a 72-hour notice; a 'tenant' (more than 30 consecutive days) gets landlord-tenant-style protections; and a 'resident' (9 months or more) can only be terminated for one of seven enumerated reasons.
Metered electricCalifornia master-meter customers who submeter tenants must charge no more than the rate the tenant would pay if served directly by the utility, pass through rebates and credits proportionally, itemize bills and post the current rate schedule.
Sales / lodging taxCalifornia has no state lodging tax, but cities and counties may levy a transient occupancy tax on 'a camping site or a space at a campground or recreational vehicle park' for occupancies of 30 days or less; stays over 30 days are outside the TOT.
Signing onlineUniform Electronic Transactions Act (adopted) (Cal. Civ. Code § 1633.1 et seq.)

Short version. Details, citations and sources are below.

Is a seasonal guest a tenant in California?

California has a dedicated RV park law with three tiers by length of stay: an 'occupant' (30 days or less) can be removed with a 72-hour notice; a 'tenant' (more than 30 consecutive days) gets landlord-tenant-style protections; and a 'resident' (9 months or more) can only be terminated for one of seven enumerated reasons. Seasonal/annual guests will be tenants and, after nine months, residents.

What that means for notices and removal

Occupants: 72-hour written notice (§§ 799.55–799.58). Tenants: 3-day notice for nonpayment after a 5-day grace period, or 30-day notice without cause (§§ 799.65–799.66). Residents: 60-day notice stating a statutory reason (§ 799.70). Removal after notice expires is by unlawful detainer, except the RV-removal procedure allowed for occupants.

Cite: Cal. Civ. Code §§ 799.20–799.79

Sub-metering electricity to RV sites in California

California master-meter customers who submeter tenants must charge no more than the rate the tenant would pay if served directly by the utility, pass through rebates and credits proportionally, itemize bills and post the current rate schedule. The statute names mobilehome parks, apartment buildings and 'similar residential complexes' rather than RV parks by name; submeters used for billing must be state-approved (CTEP) devices. Confirm your utility's master-meter/submetering tariff (e.g., PG&E Rule 18).

Cite: Cal. Pub. Util. Code § 739.5; PG&E Electric Rule 18 (Supply to Separate Premises and Resale of Electric Energy)

Sales and lodging tax on seasonal sites in California

California has no state lodging tax, but cities and counties may levy a transient occupancy tax on 'a camping site or a space at a campground or recreational vehicle park' for occupancies of 30 days or less; stays over 30 days are outside the TOT. Site rentals are not subject to state sales tax.

Cite: Cal. Rev. & Tax. Code § 7280

Signing agreements online in California

Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (adopted). Electronic signatures are valid for seasonal site agreements when the guest agrees to sign electronically, intends to sign, and the record is kept in a form that can be reproduced and shown not to have changed. Seasonal Sites records the signer’s typed name, email, time, IP address and a SHA-256 fingerprint of the exact text signed, and stores the signed PDF.

Cite: Cal. Civ. Code § 1633.1 et seq.

Clauses to include in a California seasonal agreement

These are added on top of the eleven sections in the free template. Adjust the bracketed parts and have a local attorney read the result.

Recreational use, not a residence"The Site is licensed for recreational use only. The Guest maintains a permanent residence elsewhere at the address above, and the Site is not the Guest’s primary residence. Nothing in this agreement creates a residential tenancy." In this state the line between a recreational guest and a residential tenant is what decides which removal process applies, so say it plainly and keep the guest’s home address on file.
Notice periodMatch the notice periods in your termination section to the ones the state uses (3-day notice appears in the rules summarized above) rather than inventing shorter ones; a shorter contractual notice is not enforceable where the statute sets a floor.
Metered electricityBill metered electricity at your actual utility cost and say so in the agreement; where a state or utility tariff speaks to resale, at-cost pass-through is the safe harbor everywhere we looked.
Term length and taxState the exact term dates and that the agreement is for a continuous stay of 30 days or more, and keep the signed copy with the term on it — where the summary above shows a long-stay exemption, that document is usually what the auditor asks for.
Electronic signature consent"The Guest consents to sign this agreement electronically and to receive invoices, receipts and notices by email at the address above." Keep the signer name, email, date/time, IP address and a fingerprint of the signed text.

Your state association is a good second opinion on all of this: California Outdoor Hospitality Association (CalOHA, formerly CalARVC / Camp-California).

Get the free seasonal site agreement template

Eleven plain-English sections, Word and PDF, with bracketed fields to fill in. Then paste the California clauses above into it.

Or skip the paperwork entirely

Seasonal Sites takes this same agreement, fills in each guest’s name, site, rate and dates, emails them a link to sign on their phone, puts the installments on autopay, bills metered electric from your readings, and keeps the signed PDF with the audit record. Renewals for the whole park go out in one click. It works beside whatever reservation system you already use.

Other states

Sources

This page summarizes public sources as of September 2026 for park owners and is not legal or tax advice. Statutes, tariffs and tax rules change; confirm anything you rely on with the agency or an attorney licensed in California. Found an error? Email hello@seasonalsites.com.