Are Campgrounds subject to Innkeeper laws?
An interesting question came up recently. Are Campgrounds covered under Innkeeper laws, aka Hospitality laws? Such laws are designed to protect both the guest and the operator of lodging facilities. ...
Forum Discussion
Depends on where you are and what you actually mean by "campground."
In most states, RV parks and other privately held temporary lodging facilities operate under innkeeper law, whether by statute or civil law. But beyond a certain length on tenancy, which varies by state, landlord-tenant law applies instead, again by statue and civil law.
Public property, which inludes many city, county, state and Federal campgrounds, is not usually subject to innkeeper law. Whether by statute or statutorily derived regulataory authority, government organizations make and enforce the rules. I go regularly to a tribal park, it operates under tribal law and Federal law, the state has little to say about it, except when state law unrelated to it being a park, is violated, e.g. the state would investigate and prosecute homicides.
Don't know why the question would come up recently, innkeeper law has applied to RV parks and campgrounds for a very long time. Whatever is in the statutes, mostly serves to clarify or modify the huge body of civil law on this subject. We inherited English civil law, and innkeeper law goes back to at least the 12th century when inns started to supplant monastaries for hospitatlity. Some little detail of responsibility, the answer may be found in a civil court suit.
In most states, RV parks and other privately held temporary lodging facilities operate under innkeeper law, whether by statute or civil law. But beyond a certain length on tenancy, which varies by state, landlord-tenant law applies instead, again by statue and civil law.
Public property, which inludes many city, county, state and Federal campgrounds, is not usually subject to innkeeper law. Whether by statute or statutorily derived regulataory authority, government organizations make and enforce the rules. I go regularly to a tribal park, it operates under tribal law and Federal law, the state has little to say about it, except when state law unrelated to it being a park, is violated, e.g. the state would investigate and prosecute homicides.
Don't know why the question would come up recently, innkeeper law has applied to RV parks and campgrounds for a very long time. Whatever is in the statutes, mostly serves to clarify or modify the huge body of civil law on this subject. We inherited English civil law, and innkeeper law goes back to at least the 12th century when inns started to supplant monastaries for hospitatlity. Some little detail of responsibility, the answer may be found in a civil court suit.
