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New York · reviewed September 2026

Seasonal RV site agreements in New York

What New York 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?RPL § 233-b covers any campground with 5+ campsites used for 'recreational, camping, travel or seasonal use.' A 'guest' is anyone occupying a site under an agreement longer than one week.
Metered electricNew York's PSC sub-metering regulations expressly cover 'campgrounds, recreational trailer parks, marinas and parking facilities.' Under 16 NYCRR § 96.2(d) these facilities may master-meter and sub-meter electricity to individual sites 'without Commission approval' and are not subject to the residential submetering service conditions (rate cap, HEFPA, meter testing) that apply to apartment buildings.
Sales / lodging taxState sales tax on occupancy applies to 'hotels' (places regularly kept open for lodging of guests with hotel-type services); bare campsite/RV-site rentals are generally not treated as hotel occupancy and are reported by tax practitioners as not subject to NY sales tax, though some counties impose their own occupancy taxes that may reach campgrounds.
Signing onlineElectronic Signatures and Records Act (ESRA) — New York's own act, not UETA (N.Y. State Technology Law §§ 301–309)

Short version. Details, citations and sources are below.

Is a seasonal guest a tenant in New York?

RPL § 233-b covers any campground with 5+ campsites used for 'recreational, camping, travel or seasonal use.' A 'guest' is anyone occupying a site under an agreement longer than one week. After a written warning, the owner may have law enforcement remove (and cite for trespass) a guest who disturbs or endangers others, possesses drugs or (if under 21) alcohol, breaks the law, or violates posted safety rules; unused prepaid fees must be refunded pro rata and left-behind property handled with 30 days' notice under the Lien Law. The statute does not say campground guests are or are not 'tenants.' Separately, RPAPL § 711 treats any occupant in possession 30+ consecutive days as someone who can only be removed by a court summary proceeding, so long-term seasonals are generally handled through court, not self-help.

What that means for notices and removal

Misconduct removals: written warning, then police removal under RPL § 233-b. Nonpayment or end-of-season holdovers by a seasonal who has been there 30+ days: summary proceeding (RPAPL Art. 7); if a landlord-tenant relationship is found, the 2019 HSTPA notice rules apply (14-day rent demand under RPAPL § 711(2); 30/60/90-day non-renewal notice under RPL § 226-c depending on length of occupancy).

Cite: N.Y. Real Prop. Law § 233-b; N.Y. RPAPL § 711

Sub-metering electricity to RV sites in New York

New York's PSC sub-metering regulations expressly cover 'campgrounds, recreational trailer parks, marinas and parking facilities.' Under 16 NYCRR § 96.2(d) these facilities may master-meter and sub-meter electricity to individual sites 'without Commission approval' and are not subject to the residential submetering service conditions (rate cap, HEFPA, meter testing) that apply to apartment buildings. In practice: sub-metering seasonal sites is allowed; there is no state-imposed at-cost rule specific to campgrounds, but check your utility's tariff on resale and keep billing transparent.

Cite: 16 NYCRR Part 96, §§ 96.1 (definitions) and 96.2(d)

Sales and lodging tax on seasonal sites in New York

State sales tax on occupancy applies to 'hotels' (places regularly kept open for lodging of guests with hotel-type services); bare campsite/RV-site rentals are generally not treated as hotel occupancy and are reported by tax practitioners as not subject to NY sales tax, though some counties impose their own occupancy taxes that may reach campgrounds. If a stay is ever taxed as hotel occupancy, the permanent-resident exemption kicks in at 90 consecutive days.

Cite: N.Y. Tax Law § 1105(e) and § 1101(c); 20 NYCRR § 527.9; NYS Tax Bulletin TB-ST-331

Signing agreements online in New York

Electronic Signatures and Records Act (ESRA) — New York's own act, not UETA. 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: N.Y. State Technology Law §§ 301–309

Clauses to include in a New York 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 (14-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 90 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: Campground Owners of New York (CONY).

Get the free seasonal site agreement template

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