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South Carolina · reviewed September 2026

Seasonal RV site agreements in South Carolina

What South 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.

Guest or tenant?The landlord-tenant act excludes 'transient occupancy in a hotel, motel, or other accommodations subject to the sales tax on accommodations' (§ 27-40-120) — which covers campground spaces rented under 90 continuous days.
Metered electricNo South Carolina statute or PSC rule specifically addressing campground/RV-park sub-metering or resale of electricity was located.
Sales / lodging taxSouth Carolina's 7% accommodations tax (5% state sales + 2% accommodations) expressly applies to 'campground spaces,' but rentals to the same person for 90 continuous days are exempt — so seasonal/annual site agreements of 90+ days are generally not taxed…
Signing onlineUniform Electronic Transactions Act (UETA) (S.C. Code §§ 26-6-10 et seq.)

Short version. Details, citations and sources are below.

Is a seasonal guest a tenant in South Carolina?

The landlord-tenant act excludes 'transient occupancy in a hotel, motel, or other accommodations subject to the sales tax on accommodations' (§ 27-40-120) — which covers campground spaces rented under 90 continuous days. A 2026 law (§ 45-2-65) now lets an RV park operator remove a guest who fails to pay, disturbs others, damages the facility, possesses drugs or violates posted rules by serving a written notice ('this recreational vehicle park no longer desires to entertain you as its guest, and you are requested to leave at once'); refusing to leave is a misdemeanor and law enforcement may assist. The statute sets no day limit, but a seasonal who has stayed 90+ days is no longer 'transient' for the § 27-40-120 exclusion, so court ejectment remains the safer route for long-term seasonals.

What that means for notices and removal

Short-term/transient guests: written notice under § 45-2-65, then law enforcement. Seasonals who may be tenants: 5-day nonpayment notice (§ 27-40-710(B)), 14-day notice to cure other breaches (§ 27-40-710(A)), 30-day notice to end month-to-month (§ 27-40-770), then magistrate's court ejectment.

Cite: S.C. Code § 27-40-120; § 45-2-65 (eff. June 30, 2026)

Sub-metering electricity to RV sites in South Carolina

No South Carolina statute or PSC rule specifically addressing campground/RV-park sub-metering or resale of electricity was located. Treat as unverified; check your utility's or cooperative's tariff on resale and bill seasonals at cost.

Sales and lodging tax on seasonal sites in South Carolina

South Carolina's 7% accommodations tax (5% state sales + 2% accommodations) expressly applies to 'campground spaces,' but rentals to the same person for 90 continuous days are exempt — so seasonal/annual site agreements of 90+ days are generally not taxed (local accommodations taxes follow the same base).

Cite: S.C. Code § 12-36-920(A)

Signing agreements online in South 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.

Cite: S.C. Code §§ 26-6-10 et seq.

Clauses to include in a South 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.

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 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: 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 South 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

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 South Carolina. Found an error? Email hello@seasonalsites.com.