By-laws vary
Each municipality in Quebec is free to adopt its own by-laws governing activities on campgrounds and by RV owners. You are best to ask the municipality responsible for the campground where you have a seasonal site. Ignorance of the law, as they say, is no excuse!
- Some municipalities require that seasonal trailer owners have a temporary residence permit, which may cost as much as $90 per year for trailers of up to 9 m and $120 for trailers measuring 9 m or more.
- Fees may also apply for the use of municipal services like water and sewage disposal.
When a trailer becomes an immoveable
More and more municipalities are adopting by-laws allowing them to levy higher taxes on owners of trailers when they become immoveables. There are many reasons why a trailer may be considered an immoveable, and such situations are often evaluated on a case-by-case basis. The main considerations are:
- A trailer that has become an immoveable is sitting on the ground, either because of its extensions, because it does not have wheels, or for any other reason depending on the municipal inspector’s judgment. A trailer that has become an immoveable is not easy to move from the campground.
- The trailer does not belong to the campground operator, but to a camper.
- Consequently, the immoveable trailer becomes a taxable entity separate from the campground. Its owner will receive an individual tax bill.
- Such immoveable trailers make the “resort” status of the campground doubtful. This is why operators often adopt policies prohibiting them. For more information, see the Special Rights and Privileges section.