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Rhode Island · reviewed September 2026

Seasonal RV site agreements in Rhode Island

What Rhode Island 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 landlord-tenant act excludes 'transient occupancy in a hotel, motel, or other lodging ... which is subject to the state sales and use tax' — so a campsite stay that is taxed as transient lodging (30 days or less) is outside the act, but a seasonal on a longer written agreement is not clearly excluded and may be treated as a tenant.
Metered electricNo Rhode Island statute or PUC regulation specifically addressing campground/RV-park sub-metering or resale of electricity was located (a secondary survey reports the state is silent on residential electric sub-metering).
Sales / lodging taxRhode Island's 7% sales tax and 5% hotel tax apply to transient occupancy (30 days or less) of hotels and 'tourist camps'; occupancy under a documented agreement covering more than 30 consecutive days or one calendar month is excluded, so seasonal site agreements are generally outside the tax.
Signing onlineUniform Electronic Transactions Act (UETA) (R.I. Gen. Laws ch. 42-127.1)

Short version. Details, citations and sources are below.

Is a seasonal guest a tenant in Rhode Island?

The landlord-tenant act excludes 'transient occupancy in a hotel, motel, or other lodging ... which is subject to the state sales and use tax' — so a campsite stay that is taxed as transient lodging (30 days or less) is outside the act, but a seasonal on a longer written agreement is not clearly excluded and may be treated as a tenant. The separate campground act lets a licensed operator remove a guest who disturbs others, damages the property, breaks posted rules, or fails to pay, and requires posted rules and rate sheets (§ 32-7-13).

What that means for notices and removal

Misconduct/nonpayment removals of short-stay guests: § 32-7-13. Seasonals who may be tenants: 5-day demand notice for nonpayment (§ 34-18-35), 20-day notice to cure other breaches (§ 34-18-36), 30-day notice to end a month-to-month tenancy (§ 34-18-37), then District Court eviction.

Cite: R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-8(4); § 32-7-13

Sub-metering electricity to RV sites in Rhode Island

No Rhode Island statute or PUC regulation specifically addressing campground/RV-park sub-metering or resale of electricity was located (a secondary survey reports the state is silent on residential electric sub-metering). Treat as unverified; check Rhode Island Energy's tariff on resale and bill at cost.

Sales and lodging tax on seasonal sites in Rhode Island

Rhode Island's 7% sales tax and 5% hotel tax apply to transient occupancy (30 days or less) of hotels and 'tourist camps'; occupancy under a documented agreement covering more than 30 consecutive days or one calendar month is excluded, so seasonal site agreements are generally outside the tax. Whether a bare RV site (no structure) is a taxable 'tourist camp' is not clearly stated; confirm with the RI Division of Taxation.

Cite: R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 44-18-7, 44-18-18, 44-18-36.1; 280-RICR-20-70-51

Signing agreements online in Rhode Island

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.

Cite: R.I. Gen. Laws ch. 42-127.1

Clauses to include in a Rhode Island 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 (5-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 electricity"Electricity is individually metered and billed at the Park’s actual cost per kWh from its utility, with no markup, read on or about the [day] of each month; readings are available to the Guest on request." Keep the utility bills and meter readings for at least three years.
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: Ocean State Campground Owners Association (OSCOA).

Get the free seasonal site agreement template

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