Good campground seasonal billing comes down to a written agreement that states the total price, the payment dates, how electric is charged, and what happens when a payment is late. Collect a deposit up front, split the rest into a few scheduled payments, bill electric from a meter reading, and send the renewal notice in writing well before the next season.
Seasonal sites are steady money, and billing disputes pile up because the stay lasts months and much gets agreed by handshake.
This is general information, not legal advice. Rules differ by state and by how your stays are classified. Where we cite a law below, we use Minnesota as the example, and we link the source so you can read it yourself. Talk to a local attorney before you finalize a lease form.
Start with the written seasonal agreement
Every billing problem you will have later is easier to handle if the paper says what to do. A seasonal agreement does not need to be long. It needs to be specific. Cover these points:
- Names, unit and site. Who pays, the RV details, the site number and the start, end and move-out dates.
- Total price. Say whether water, sewer, trash and wifi are in the rate.
- Deposit. Amount, due date, and whether it is refundable, applied to the final payment, or kept.
- Payment schedule. Each due date and amount, in a list the camper can check.
- Electric. Included, flat or metered, with the rate per kilowatt-hour and the reading dates.
- Late fees. The amount, the grace period and the start day.
- Termination and notice. How either side ends the agreement.
- Renewal. When you send the notice and the date the camper must answer.
Put the agreement in front of the camper before money changes hands, and keep a signed copy. If you want a starting point for the price side, the seasonal rate template lays out a rate sheet you can adapt.
Why the written agreement also matters for tax
In Minnesota, the Department of Revenue treats campgrounds and trailer camps as lodging facilities. Its guide says tax applies to rentals of less than 30 days, or 30 days or more with no enforceable written lease agreement (checked 2026-10-26). The agreement must be signed at the time of sale, day one or before. It must also include a termination clause requiring notice of intent to terminate from either party at least 30 days before vacating, or a shorter period for a violation of the lease conditions.
A seasonal agreement with no notice clause can cost you in tax. Outside Minnesota, check your own state revenue department.
Deposits: set the amount and the rule before the camper pays
A deposit holds the site and shows the camper is serious. The decisions are the size, the refund rule and where the deposit goes on the books.
Common choices:
| Approach | How it works | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Applied deposit | Counts toward the last payment of the season | Camper may expect it back if they leave early |
| Reservation deposit, non-refundable | Holds the site, kept if the camper cancels | Must be stated in writing before payment |
| Security deposit | Held against damage or unpaid bills, returned at move-out | Some states regulate how long you can hold it and what you must itemize |
Name the deposit correctly in the agreement. For security deposits, check your state for return deadlines or itemization rules. We did not find a Minnesota statute that clearly covers RV site deposits, so ask an attorney.
Monthly payments or one lump sum
Most parks offer both. Each has a cost to you and to the camper.
| Lump sum | Monthly or installment | |
|---|---|---|
| Cash timing | All money in before the season | Money arrives as the season goes |
| Collection risk | None after payment | A camper can fall behind in July |
| Camper appeal | Often a discount | Easier on the budget |
| Your admin | One payment to record | Several payments to record and chase |
| Refund risk | Early departures raise the question of a refund | Smaller amount at stake |
Many owners give a modest discount for paying in full by a set date. Put it in the agreement as a dollar figure so no one has to do math.
An illustration: one site, two plans
This is an illustration with made-up numbers, not real park data. Assume a season runs May 1 to October 15, and the full-season site rate is $3,300 with electric billed separately.
- Lump sum plan: $3,300 minus a $150 pay-in-full discount, so $3,150 due by April 1. If a $500 deposit was already paid, the balance is $2,650.
- Installment plan: $500 deposit at signing, then three payments of $933.33 due on May 1, July 1 and September 1. The total is $3,299.99, so round the last payment to $933.34.
Write the actual dates and dollar amounts in the agreement. A camper should never have to ask what is due.
Taking the payments
If you take payment through Stripe, its documentation says ACH Direct Debit can take up to 4 business days to confirm success or failure, and that it is not a guaranteed payment method, so failed payments and disputes are possible (checked 2026-10-26). The same page says customers can generally dispute an ACH debit through their bank for up to 60 calendar days on a personal account.
It also says you must tell the customer how recurring amounts are calculated, and give at least 7 calendar days notice if you change the timing. That matters when electric is added to a payment.
CampStack takes card payments through Stripe at Stripe's standard rate, passed through at cost, with no added percentage. We do not claim automatic recurring billing for seasonal plans. If you want to run installments today, plan on a reminder and a manual payment each time, or handle it through your own Stripe setup. To see what card processing costs on a seasonal rate, use the booking fee calculator.
Electric and other utilities
Electric is where seasonal campers and owners disagree most. Three ways to handle it:
- Included in the rate. Simple to bill. Risky if a camper runs a window air conditioner and a space heater all season.
- Flat monthly electric charge. Predictable. Set it from a season of real readings, not a guess.
- Metered. The camper pays for what they use. It needs a meter at each site and a reading routine.
How metered billing works
You read the meter on a fixed schedule, subtract the last reading, and multiply by the rate. The agreement should also say what you do if a meter fails.
Illustration with assumed numbers: the meter reads 4,820 kWh on June 1 and 5,990 kWh on July 1. That is 1,170 kWh. At an assumed rate of $0.14 per kWh, the bill is $163.80. Record the readings and the date on the invoice so the camper can check your math.
Can you charge for electric, and how much?
Some states regulate resale of electricity. Minnesota defines "submetering" as a building owner measuring tenant electric use to fairly apportion the building's electrical cost (checked 2026-10-26). The same statute says a person is not a public utility if it serves occupants of a manufactured home or trailer park it owns, leases or operates. Whether that covers your campground, and whether you may charge above your own cost, is a question for an attorney or your state utility commission. Until you know, bill at your actual per-kWh cost.
Bill propane, cable and extra-person fees the same way, with the rate in writing.
Late fees
A late fee only works if the camper agreed to it in writing and you apply it the same way every time.
Minnesota gives one example. For residential buildings, a landlord may not charge a late fee unless the tenant and landlord agreed in writing, and the fee may not exceed eight percent of the overdue rent payment (checked 2026-10-26). The written agreement must also say when the fee will be imposed. That statute is written for residential rent. Whether it applies to a seasonal RV site is a legal question, but it is a sensible ceiling to design around even where it may not bind you.
Illustration with made-up numbers: eight percent of a $933.33 installment is $74.67. A park that wants to stay well under that might set a flat $35 fee after a 5-day grace period.
Put in the agreement the due date, the grace period, the exact fee, and what happens after a longer delay, such as 30 days: a notice, loss of site, or termination under the notice clause.
Then follow your own rule. A fee you forgive for one camper and charge another is the one that ends in an argument.
Renewal notices
Send the renewal notice in writing, on a date the agreement sets. Many parks send it in late summer or early fall, with a response deadline, then offer open sites to a waitlist after that date.
A good renewal notice includes:
- The new dates and rate, and any change from last year.
- The deposit amount and the due date to hold the site.
- The response deadline, and what happens to the site if there is no answer.
- A new signed agreement for the new season, not an assumption that last year's carries over. In Minnesota the tax rule above depends on an enforceable written agreement.
Keep a copy of each notice and how it was delivered.
Keeping the records straight
Keep one ledger per site: deposit, each payment, each electric bill, each late fee, and the dates. CampStack can import sites, guests and future reservations from a CSV file, which helps if your seasonal list lives in a spreadsheet. See how switching works. To compare rates with other private parks nearby, browse the Minnesota campground directory.
Frequently asked questions
How do campgrounds bill seasonal campers?
Most parks sign a written seasonal agreement, collect a deposit, then bill the balance either in full before the season or in a few installments. Electric is added as a flat charge or from a meter reading. The agreement states each date and amount.
Should I charge seasonal campers monthly or for the whole season up front?
Offer both if you can. A lump sum gets your cash early and removes collection risk, often with a small discount. Installments are easier for campers but mean you chase payments. Put the dates and dollar amounts in the agreement either way.
How much deposit should I take for a seasonal site?
There is no single right number. Many parks pick a fixed amount that is enough to hold the site and cover a no-show, and apply it to the final payment. State the amount and the refund rule in writing before the camper pays. Check your state for any rules on security deposits.
How do I bill seasonal campers for electric?
Choose included, flat or metered, and write the choice in the agreement. For metered sites, record the reading dates, the kilowatt-hours used and the rate on each invoice. Ask an attorney or your state utility commission whether you may charge more than your own cost.
Can a campground charge a late fee on seasonal rent?
Generally only if the camper agreed to it in writing. Minnesota caps late fees on residential rent at eight percent of the overdue payment and requires the written agreement to say when the fee applies, per Minn. Stat. 504B.177. Whether that applies to your RV sites is a legal question. This is general information, not legal advice.
Do seasonal campsite rentals have sales tax?
It depends on the state. In Minnesota, 30-plus-day rentals avoid lodging tax only with an enforceable written agreement made on or before day one that has a notice-to-terminate clause. Check your state revenue department.
When should I send seasonal renewal notices?
Send them in writing with enough time for the camper to decide and for you to fill the site if they decline. Many parks mail them in late summer or early fall. State the new rate, the deposit, and a response deadline in the notice.
Try CampStack for your park
CampStack is flat-fee reservation software for small independent campgrounds: $49 per month or $490 per year, unlimited reservations, a booking widget for your own site, no booking fees and no contract. Right now the first 25 online bookings are free, and the rate is then locked for life. There is a 14-day trial. See the details at /owners.
Sources
- Minnesota Department of Revenue, Sales Tax: Lodging and Related Services. https://www.revenue.state.mn.us/index.php/guide/sales-lodging-and-related-services (checked 2026-10-26)
- Minnesota Statutes 504B.177, Late fees. https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/504B.177 (checked 2026-10-26)
- Minnesota Statutes 216B.02, Definitions. https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/216B.02 (checked 2026-10-26)
- Stripe documentation, ACH Direct Debit. https://docs.stripe.com/payments/ach-direct-debit (checked 2026-10-26)
- IRS Publication 538, Accounting Periods and Methods. https://www.irs.gov/publications/p538 (checked 2026-10-26)
Sources
Facts about other companies come from their own public pages. Prices change, so open the source before you decide.
- Minnesota Department of Revenue, Sales Tax: Lodging and Related Services, checked October 26, 2026.
- Minnesota Statutes 504B.177, Late fees, checked October 26, 2026.
- Minnesota Statutes 216B.02, Definitions, checked October 26, 2026.
- Stripe documentation, ACH Direct Debit, checked October 26, 2026.
- IRS Publication 538, Accounting Periods and Methods, checked October 26, 2026.
