Seasonal Sites › State guides › Iowa
Iowa · reviewed September 2026

Seasonal RV site agreements in Iowa

What Iowa 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?Iowa's residential landlord-tenant law excludes only 'transient occupancy in a hotel, motel or other similar lodgings' and says nothing about campgrounds or day counts.
Metered electricNo Iowa statute or Iowa Utilities Commission rule specific to campground or landlord electric submetering was found; industry sources describe submetering as legal in Iowa but cite no markup limit or accuracy standard.
Sales / lodging tax'Campgrounds' are an enumerated taxable service under Iowa's 6% sales tax (plus local option), and the statute lists no duration-based exemption for campground fees.
Signing onlineUniform Electronic Transactions Act (Iowa Code ch. 554D)

Short version. Details, citations and sources are below.

Is a seasonal guest a tenant in Iowa?

Iowa's residential landlord-tenant law excludes only 'transient occupancy in a hotel, motel or other similar lodgings' and says nothing about campgrounds or day counts. The mobile-home-park law defines 'mobile home' very broadly as any towable vehicle designed for human habitation, and does not expressly exclude RVs, so a park that rents lots to RVs used as residences risks being treated as a mobile home park under ch. 562B (60-day termination notice, limited grounds). Seasonal recreational guests are not specifically addressed.

What that means for notices and removal

Not specifically addressed for RV sites. If ch. 562A applies: 30 days' notice for month-to-month, 3-day notice for nonpayment, then forcible entry and detainer (Iowa Code ch. 648). If ch. 562B applies: 60 days' written notice to terminate a lot tenancy.

Cite: Iowa Code ch. 562A (exclusions at § 562A.5); Iowa Code ch. 562B (definitions at § 562B.7)

Sub-metering electricity to RV sites in Iowa

No Iowa statute or Iowa Utilities Commission rule specific to campground or landlord electric submetering was found; industry sources describe submetering as legal in Iowa but cite no markup limit or accuracy standard. Utility tariffs filed under 199 IAC ch. 20 typically restrict resale, so confirm with the serving utility or REC before billing sites per kWh.

Sales and lodging tax on seasonal sites in Iowa

'Campgrounds' are an enumerated taxable service under Iowa's 6% sales tax (plus local option), and the statute lists no duration-based exemption for campground fees. The separate state/local hotel-motel tax is aimed at rooms and sleeping quarters and is not applied to bare campsites. Whether a long-term seasonal site lease is taxed as a 'campground' service or treated as an untaxed real-estate lease has not been addressed in published guidance found; ask Iowa DOR for a written determination.

Cite: Iowa Code § 423.2(6)(j); Iowa Code ch. 423A

Signing agreements online in Iowa

Uniform Electronic Transactions Act. 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: Iowa Code ch. 554D

Clauses to include in a Iowa 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 (30-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.

Your state association is a good second opinion on all of this: Iowa Association of RV Parks & Campgrounds.

Get the free seasonal site agreement template

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