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Minnesota · reviewed September 2026

Seasonal RV site agreements in Minnesota

What Minnesota 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?Minnesota's manufactured-home-park tenant law (ch. 327C) covers owners of manufactured homes renting lots and expressly excludes parks open only three or fewer seasons a year, so a seasonal campground with RVs is generally outside it.
Metered electricMinnesota's submetering statute (2024 amendments) governs 'shared-metered residential buildings' and requires accurate, ANSI-compliant submeters and bars charging tenants for submeter installation or reading costs, but it expressly does not include manufactured home parks and does not mention campgrounds.
Sales / lodging taxCampgrounds and trailer camps are lodging facilities that must charge sales tax on site rentals of less than 30 days, or 30+ days without an enforceable written lease.
Signing onlineUniform Electronic Transactions Act (Minn. Stat. ch. 325L)

Short version. Details, citations and sources are below.

Is a seasonal guest a tenant in Minnesota?

Minnesota's manufactured-home-park tenant law (ch. 327C) covers owners of manufactured homes renting lots and expressly excludes parks open only three or fewer seasons a year, so a seasonal campground with RVs is generally outside it. 'Recreational camping areas' are licensed by the Dept. of Health under ch. 327, which sets no maximum length of stay for ordinary campgrounds. Chapter 504B defines a residential tenant as someone occupying a dwelling in a residential building under a lease and does not carve out RVs or campgrounds by name.

What that means for notices and removal

Not specifically addressed for RV sites. A seasonal camper on a recreational agreement is generally not a 504B residential tenant, but a year-round RV occupant using the site as a home could be treated as one, in which case Minnesota eviction (504B.285 et seq.) and lease-termination notice rules would apply. Keep seasonal agreements clearly recreational with defined open/close dates.

Cite: Minn. Stat. § 327C.015 (park definition excludes facilities open three or fewer seasons); § 327.14 (recreational camping area / recreational camping vehicle); § 504B.001

Sub-metering electricity to RV sites in Minnesota

Minnesota's submetering statute (2024 amendments) governs 'shared-metered residential buildings' and requires accurate, ANSI-compliant submeters and bars charging tenants for submeter installation or reading costs, but it expressly does not include manufactured home parks and does not mention campgrounds. There is no Minnesota law found that specifically authorizes or caps campground resale of electricity; the Minnesota Dept. of Revenue treats electric hookup fees as taxable even when the site rental is exempt.

Cite: Minn. Stat. § 216B.022; § 504B.216

Sales and lodging tax on seasonal sites in Minnesota

Campgrounds and trailer camps are lodging facilities that must charge sales tax on site rentals of less than 30 days, or 30+ days without an enforceable written lease. A seasonal site is exempt if a written agreement signed by both parties at or before day one covers 30 days or more and requires notice to terminate; separately stated electric or water hookup charges remain taxable.

Cite: Minn. Stat. § 297A.61, subd. 3(g)(2); MN DOR 'Sales - Lodging and Related Services' guide

Signing agreements online in Minnesota

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: Minn. Stat. ch. 325L

Clauses to include in a Minnesota 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.
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: Community of Minnesota Resorts (represents resorts and campgrounds).

Get the free seasonal site agreement template

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