Seasonal RV site agreements in New Hampshire
What New Hampshire 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.
Short version. Details, citations and sources are below.
Is a seasonal guest a tenant in New Hampshire?
New Hampshire has a campground-specific statute. A 'campsite' is land rented for temporary recreational dwelling, and RSA 216-I:6 lets the owner remove a person who stays past the registered departure date, refuses to pay, disturbs others' quiet enjoyment, or breaks the law. RSA 540 tenant protections apply to 'rental units' used for nontransient residential purposes and exclude rooms and dwellings rented for recreational or vacation use, so seasonal campers on recreational agreements are generally not RSA 540 tenants.
What that means for notices and removal
Make a reasonable attempt to verbally warn the person to cease and desist, then ask them to leave; law enforcement may assist on request (RSA 216-I:6). Property left behind is treated as abandoned, may be stored under a lien, and sold at public auction after 60 days of unpaid charges (RSA 216-I:7-8). A year-round occupant using the site as a home could still argue RSA 540 applies, so keep agreements seasonal and recreational.
Sub-metering electricity to RV sites in New Hampshire
New Hampshire does not prohibit submetering, and industry summaries list NH as permitting electric submetering, but no PUC rule or statute specifically addressing campground resale of electricity or a no-markup requirement was verified. Check your utility's tariff (Eversource, Liberty, Unitil, NHEC) before billing by the kWh.
Sales and lodging tax on seasonal sites in New Hampshire
New Hampshire's Meals and Rooms (Rentals) Tax (8.5%) applies to campsite rentals as sleeping accommodations (the 'hotel' definition includes camps and cabins, and industry sources confirm campsites are taxed). An occupant becomes an exempt 'permanent resident' only after 185 consecutive days, so most seasonal (May-October) site rentals remain taxable.
Signing agreements online in New Hampshire
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.
Clauses to include in a New Hampshire 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.
Your state association is a good second opinion on all of this: New Hampshire Campground Owners' Association (NeHaCa).
Get the free seasonal site agreement template
Eleven plain-English sections, Word and PDF, with bracketed fields to fill in. Then paste the New Hampshire 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
- https://gc.nh.gov/rsa/html/XIX/216-I/216-I-mrg.htm
- https://gc.nh.gov/rsa/html/lv/540/540-mrg.htm
- https://gc.nh.gov/rsa/html/V/78-A/78-A-mrg.htm
- https://myutilitysearch.com/apartment-submetering-laws-by-state/
- https://www.avalara.com/blog/en/north-america/2017/05/complicated-camping-taxes-wacky-tax-wednesday.html
- https://nhlovescampers.com/
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 New Hampshire. Found an error? Email hello@seasonalsites.com.