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Delaware · reviewed September 2026

Seasonal RV site agreements in Delaware

What Delaware 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?Delaware's manufactured-home community law is unusual: its definition of 'manufactured home' includes 'a camper trailer, recreational vehicle, motor home, or similar vehicle' when it is located in a qualifying community, used as the occupant's primary residence and kept in an immobile condition.
Metered electricDelaware landlords may separately charge tenants for electricity only if it is separately metered and the rental agreement allows it, and may not charge more than the actual cost the provider charges the landlord.
Sales / lodging taxDelaware has no sales tax. Its 8% public accommodations tax applies to hotels, motels and tourist homes as defined (rooms occupied five consecutive months or more are exempt), and Division of Revenue guidance does not list campgrounds or RV sites as covered.
Signing onlineUniform Electronic Transactions Act (adopted) (6 Del. C. § 12A-101 et seq.)

Short version. Details, citations and sources are below.

Is a seasonal guest a tenant in Delaware?

Delaware's manufactured-home community law is unusual: its definition of 'manufactured home' includes 'a camper trailer, recreational vehicle, motor home, or similar vehicle' when it is located in a qualifying community, used as the occupant's primary residence and kept in an immobile condition. A seasonal RV that meets those tests can bring the lot lease under Chapter 70's tenant protections; purely recreational seasonal use generally does not. No fixed day threshold.

What that means for notices and removal

Not specifically addressed for recreational sites. If Chapter 70 applies, lot-lease termination requires the statutory notices and Justice of the Peace Court summary possession; otherwise the general Landlord-Tenant Code notice rules apply (5-day nonpayment notice, 7-day breach notice, 60-day notice to end a month-to-month tenancy).

Cite: 25 Del. C. § 7003 (definitions); 25 Del. C. ch. 70; 25 Del. C. ch. 51–59

Sub-metering electricity to RV sites in Delaware

Delaware landlords may separately charge tenants for electricity only if it is separately metered and the rental agreement allows it, and may not charge more than the actual cost the provider charges the landlord. Bills must be based on actual monthly readings (no more than two consecutive estimates), tenants may inspect utility records, and meter-testing cost rules apply.

Cite: 25 Del. C. § 5312

Sales and lodging tax on seasonal sites in Delaware

Delaware has no sales tax. Its 8% public accommodations tax applies to hotels, motels and tourist homes as defined (rooms occupied five consecutive months or more are exempt), and Division of Revenue guidance does not list campgrounds or RV sites as covered. The 2024 short-term rental lodging tax (4.5%) targets dwelling rentals; county lodging taxes vary.

Cite: 30 Del. C. ch. 61; Delaware Division of Revenue Tax Tips for Hotels, Motels and Tourist Homes

Signing agreements online in Delaware

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: 6 Del. C. § 12A-101 et seq.

Clauses to include in a Delaware 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 (5-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 electricity"Electricity is individually metered and billed at the Park’s actual cost per kWh from its utility, with no markup, read on or about the [day] of each month; readings are available to the Guest on request." Keep the utility bills and meter readings for at least three years.
Term length and taxState the exact term dates; a written agreement with a fixed term is usually the evidence a long-stay tax exemption depends on.
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.

Get the free seasonal site agreement template

Eleven plain-English sections, Word and PDF, with bracketed fields to fill in. Then paste the Delaware 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 Delaware. Found an error? Email hello@seasonalsites.com.