Seasonal RV site agreements in North Carolina
What North Carolina 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 North Carolina?
Since 2023, renting an accommodation at a 'recreational vehicle park, campground, or similar lodging' to the same guest for fewer than 90 consecutive days is a 'transient occupancy' and does not create a tenancy unless your agreement expressly says so. Transient guests can be removed without a court eviction once their stay expires. Once a camper has been on site 90+ consecutive days (typical for seasonals), Chapter 42 landlord-tenant law and summary ejectment are the safe assumption.
What that means for notices and removal
Under 90 days: no tenancy; remove/lock out after the stay ends (G.S. 42-14.6). 90+ days or where your agreement creates a tenancy: written notice per G.S. 42-14 (7 days for month-to-month, 1 month for year-to-year, or as the written lease provides), then summary ejectment in small claims court (G.S. 42-26 et seq.). Nonpayment requires a 10-day demand before filing (G.S. 42-3).
Sub-metering electricity to RV sites in North Carolina
North Carolina regulates resale of electricity: G.S. 62-110(h) lets a lessor of individually metered 'residential premises' bill tenants for actual electric cost plus a Commission-set administrative fee, after certification by the Utilities Commission under Rule R22. Campgrounds/RV parks are not specifically addressed in that subsection, and electric utilities' tariffs generally prohibit resale for profit, so plan on billing seasonals at your actual metered cost with no markup and confirm with your utility and the NCUC Public Staff before starting.
Sales and lodging tax on seasonal sites in North Carolina
The state sales tax on accommodations reaches hotel/motel rooms, residences, cottages and similar lodging facilities; county tourism authorities treat bare campsites and RV sites (no lodging structure) as not subject to the occupancy tax. Any taxable accommodation supplied to the same person for 90 or more continuous days is exempt. Confirm campsite treatment with NCDOR before deciding not to collect.
Signing agreements online in North Carolina
Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (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.
Clauses to include in a North Carolina 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: Carolinas Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds (CARVC) — serves NC and SC.
Get the free seasonal site agreement template
Eleven plain-English sections, Word and PDF, with bracketed fields to fill in. Then paste the North Carolina 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://civil.sog.unc.edu/how-does-new-legislation-addressing-transient-occupancy-impact-the-landlord-tenant-analysis-in-summary-ejectment/
- https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/SessionLaws/PDF/2023-2024/SL2023-5.pdf
- https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_62/GS_62-110.html
- https://publicstaff.nc.gov/public-staff-divisions/energy-division/electric-section/electric-resellers
- https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_105/GS_105-164.4F.html
- https://www.visithaywood.com/local-partners/occupancy-tax
- https://www.carvc.org/
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 North Carolina. Found an error? Email hello@seasonalsites.com.