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Montana · reviewed September 2026

Seasonal RV site agreements in Montana

What Montana 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?The Residential Landlord and Tenant Act excludes 'transient occupancy in a hotel or motel' and a few other arrangements but does not mention campgrounds or RVs and sets no day threshold, so a non-transient RV occupant renting a site as a residence may be covered.
Metered electricThe Montana PSC publishes a 'Landlord Submetering' fact sheet (Jan.
Sales / lodging taxMontana's lodging facility use tax (4%) and lodging sales tax (4%) apply to campgrounds, defined as places where people camp, pitch tents or park RVs for camping and sleeping.
Signing onlineUniform Electronic Transactions Act (MCA § 30-18-101 et seq.)

Short version. Details, citations and sources are below.

Is a seasonal guest a tenant in Montana?

The Residential Landlord and Tenant Act excludes 'transient occupancy in a hotel or motel' and a few other arrangements but does not mention campgrounds or RVs and sets no day threshold, so a non-transient RV occupant renting a site as a residence may be covered. The separate Mobile Home Lot Rental Act (Title 70, ch. 33) covers lots rented for mobile homes.

What that means for notices and removal

Not specifically addressed. If the arrangement is a residential tenancy, Montana's termination and eviction rules apply (e.g., 30 days' notice to end a month-to-month tenancy under § 70-24-441; 3-day notice for nonpayment under § 70-24-422). Seasonal, fixed-term recreational agreements reduce the risk of being treated as a residential landlord.

Cite: MCA § 70-24-104 (exclusions); MCA Title 70, ch. 33

Sub-metering electricity to RV sites in Montana

The Montana PSC publishes a 'Landlord Submetering' fact sheet (Jan. 2018), but its contents could not be retrieved for verification. No Montana statute specifically authorizing or capping campground resale of electricity was found; NorthWestern Energy and cooperative tariffs govern resale, so confirm with your utility.

Sales and lodging tax on seasonal sites in Montana

Montana's lodging facility use tax (4%) and lodging sales tax (4%) apply to campgrounds, defined as places where people camp, pitch tents or park RVs for camping and sleeping. The definitions exclude facilities rented solely on a monthly basis or for periods of 30 days or more, and trailer courts or parks where units are occupied 30+ consecutive days as permanent dwellings, so seasonal/monthly RV sites are generally outside the tax.

Cite: MCA § 15-65-101 (definitions); § 15-65-111; § 15-68-101

Signing agreements online in Montana

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: MCA § 30-18-101 et seq.

Clauses to include in a Montana 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 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: Camping Montana (Campground Owners Association of Montana).

Get the free seasonal site agreement template

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