The Ultimate Guide to Park Model Homes for New York Landowners, Campground Owners, and Airbnb Hosts
New York State is built for getaways. Sure, popular culture likes to talk about vacationing in New York City (sometimes resulting in hilarious hijinks), but there are opportunities for extraordinary adventures throughout the state.
Adirondacks. Catskills. Finger Lakes. Lake towns. Ski towns. Wine weekends. Leaf season. The Empire State has it all.
That’s good news.
It also means a lot of competition for hosts.
If you’re a landowner or campground owner in New York, you’re not just selling a place to sleep. You’re selling comfort, experience, and memories. That’s where authentic log park model homes come in.
Lancaster Log Cabins builds solid-timber, Amish-built park model homes (park model RVs) that ship nationwide. Think “tiny home on wheels”… but built like an authentic log cabin and built to rent.
In this guide, we’ll explain why park model homes work well in New York, review the state’s campground and lodging rules at a high level, and explain how they often apply to RV-class cabins. We’ll also cover site prep, utilities, setup, and a simple ROI example using realistic New York assumptions.
Ready? Let’s get started.
Table of Contents
TL;DR - Park Model Cabins for New York Campground Owners
- High demand, high rates: New York tourism is huge, and unique cabin stays can command premium nightly rates—especially in drive-to regions like the Catskills, Adirondacks, and Finger Lakes.
- Permitting is often simpler (but still local): A park model home is typically treated like an RV (built to ANSI A119.5 and generally under 400 sq ft), so the cabin itself may not require a full building permit. The bigger question is often how it’s used.
- Strong ROI potential: With the right site and marketing, many operators aim for a 4–8-year payback period. The math depends on occupancy, season length, and operating costs.
- Durable & turnkey: A real log park model home gives guests the “cabin feel” they’re looking for—and it arrives turnkey, ready to set up and hook up.
Why Park Model Homes Make Sense in New York
New York is not a “one-season” state. Even if your peak is summer, you’ve got shoulder season. You’ve got a beautiful leaf season in the fall, and snowy white winter weekends.
And the big picture demand is there.
New York State has published recent tourism impact reports, including regional breakdowns for the Adirondacks, Catskills, Finger Lakes, Hudson Valley, and Thousand Islands. In other words, the state itself treats tourism seriously.
So what does that mean for you? It means guests aren’t just looking for a campsite.
They’re looking for a place to stay where they can take pictures and share them with friends.
That shows up as:
- Rising interest in glamping & cabin-style stays
- Guests paying more for privacy & comfort
- Travelers who want to get close to nature, but still want a real bathroom and a warm bed
With a park model home, you can ride that wave instead of watching it pass.
Compared to a standard RV or tent site, you can:
- Charge higher nightly rates
- Attract “cabin people,” not just “RV people.”
- Extend the bookable season with the right winterization plan
And because Lancaster’s units are RV-classified park model homes on a chassis, you get many benefits of a cabin without building a stick-frame structure from scratch.
New York Campground & Rental Rules: Where Park Models Fit
Before you place your first cabin, you need clarity on the rules.
New York’s campground oversight is guided by public health and sanitary code frameworks, with information and resources published by the New York State Department of Health. If you operate a campground (or are building one), expect your focus to land on things like:
- Water supply
- Wastewater/septic
- Bathing facilities (if applicable)
- Spacing, sanitation, safety
NYSDOH also groups campgrounds into the broader universe of temporary residences and publishes guidance and forms for that category as well.
Short-Term Rentals: The Rulebook is Tightening
New York’s short-term rental (STR) environment is increasingly regulated, with state-level legislative activity that gives counties local options around registration and tax collection.
What that means in layman’s terms is that:
- Your town/county rules still matter most
- But the tax/registration is getting harder to ignore
- You should expect more questions over time, not fewer
So, Where Do Park Model Homes Fit?
Knowing how your park model homes function in the rental property environment will give you an advantage in the market.
A park model is a prefabricated cabin on a wheeled chassis, built to RV code (ANSI A119.5), typically under 400 sq ft, designed for seasonal/recreational use.
The “RV classification” changes the permitting conversation—you might wind up with fewer permits, but likely different permits.
The simple way to talk to officials
When you call a town, county, or health department, keep it plain:
“We’re looking to place a park model RV that conforms to ANSI A119.5, under 400 sq ft, on a chassis. We want to use it for [campground lodging / short-term rental]. What approvals do you require for placement and utility hookups?”
That one sentence does two things:
- It puts the unit in a category they recognize (RV / park model)
- It surfaces the real issue: use & utilities, not just the cabin
Site Prep, Utilities, and Setup in New York
Once the paperwork path is clear, the rest is execution.
This is where park model homes shine. They’re practically “place and plug in” compared to building a cabin onsite:
Pads and access
Think of each cabin site like a premium RV site.
You’ll usually want:
- A compacted gravel pad slightly larger than the cabin footprint
- Space for a small parking area near the cabin
- A delivery path wide and clear enough for a mobile home hauler
Tight turns and low branches can complicate your delivery—even a small branch could snag and damage the metal roof. Plan the delivery route early.
Utilities
Most setups are the same core trio:
And since you’re in New York, think about:
- Freeze protection (such as skirting)
- Winterization routines if you don’t run year-round
To stabilize the installation, stable supports such as blocks, piers, or jack stands are common pieces of a solid installation. Skirting covers the supports and discourages any critters from getting under the unit.
Day One setup
Almost ready! The guest-ready part is simple because the cabin arrives turnkey.
Your job is to:
- Have the pad and utilities ready
- Ensure a clear delivery route
- Coordinate any needed inspections
- Complete final hookups
The only other thing left is to furnish your unit. Do that, and you go from bare ground to a rentable cabin much faster than building on-site.
An ROI Example for New York Hosts and Campgrounds
A quality, park model cabin is a significant investment—no doubt about that. But when you break the numbers down, your return on investment (ROI) is much more straightforward and quicker.
Let’s run some example numbers. You can plug in your own later.
Upfront cost (ballpark)
All-in cost per cabin varies by model and site conditions:
- Cabin purchase (price ranging from $55,000 to $77,000)
- Plus site prep and utility work
For easy math, let’s assume $95,000 all-in:
- cabin + delivery + pad + utilities + setup
Revenue assumptions (New York-leaning, but still conservative)
Let’s assume:
- average nightly rate: $175
- occupancy: 180 nights/year (about 49%)
Gross revenue:
- 180 × 175 = $31,500/year
Operating costs (rough estimate)
Per cabin, per year:
- Utilities (power/internet/water/propane): ~$3,000
- Cleaning + supplies + laundry: ~$3,600
- Maintenance + minor repairs: ~$1,700
- Insurance + booking fees: ~$1,800
Total: ~$10,100year
Net income estimate
$31,500 – $10,100 = $21,400/year net
Payback:
- 95,000 / 22,200 ≈ 4.3 years
We’re not even factoring in taxes and depreciation. Even if you’re more conservative (lower occupancy, slightly higher costs), you often still land in the 5–8 year payback range, which is strong for a long-lived, durable asset.
Want to plug in your own numbers? Check out our simplified investment calculator.
Designing Cabins That Fit New York Guests
What sells to New York guests?
New York guests like something:
- Cozy
- Clean
- Private
- Scenic
- “Different than a hotel.”
The cabin has to feel like the place they came for.
Lancaster’s differentiator is real log timber construction—not “log-look siding.” That pine wood smell in the logs. The acoustics. The warmth. Guests can feel the difference. And they photograph it.
Layout ideas that work well in New York
Family cabins with lofts: One private bedroom, a loft for kids or extra guests—great for 3–7 night stays
Couples’ retreats: open concept, big porch, a cozy living area—ideal for shoulder season
View cabins: extra windows toward the lake or woods, larger porches or outdoor seating, built around the “wow” photo
Region-specific design angles
The Empire State isn’t just New York City. The state is also known for its natural beauty, with beautiful spots such as:
- Adirondacks: mud-friendly, durable, rustic
- Catskills/Hudson Valley: modern-rustic, photo-forward
- Finger Lakes: “wine weekend” cozy + clean lines
- Thousand Islands: water-view seating + porch life
Some Potential Opportunities
New York is the land of opportunity. There is so much diversity in the state that there’s no one-fits-all solution for a park model home rental. Here are some examples of what’s possible:
Bradford, NY: This Lakeview model in Bradford, NY, is outfitted with all the home amenities, and for a memorable evening outside, a grill and picnic bench to enjoy the cool evening air.
Exeter, NY: This lofted Rancher cabin, listed as a Vrbo rental in Exeter, NY, shows that 400 square feet of space is ample for up to 5 people. Our cabins can even be set up for ADA-compliant accommodations.
Geneva, NY: The Finger Lakes region is a premium destination, and with that, a premium for land and construction. A Park model home removes building costs from the equation, offering a faster pathway to profitability, as this Airbnb in Geneva, NY, shows.
Luzerne, NY: Located near beautiful Lake Luzerne, Lancaster Log Cabins worked with the Luzerne Music Center to build 30 custom park model homes, replacing the old staff and student housing cabins with modern, comfortable, and sturdy structures for the music camp.
Fast turnaround, immense flexibility. If you can dream it, we can build it.
A Simple Action Plan
So you’re taking the plunge into the world of park model rentals. To get started, you need to:
- Clarify your strategy. Do you want to buy:
- 1 cabin, or a cluster of 3–5?
- Accommodations for families, couples, or both?
- Seasonal cabins only, or extended season housing?
- Talk to the right people early. Seek out:
- Campground operators: start with health/campground compliance guidance and ask how they classify your planned units and utility approach.
- Airbnb hosts: confirm local STR rules and track county- and state-level changes to registration/tax requirements.
- Plan sites like premium RV sites
- Pad, utilities, access, privacy, view lines
- Choose a cabin model that matches your guests
- A family loft vs a couple’s retreat vs a view cabin
A Lancaster Park Model Home for Your New York Property
In New York, standing out means offering something guests actually want.
At Lancaster Log Cabins, a real log park model home is not just a trend.
It’s a premium lodging unit that can boost your nightly rates, broaden your audience, and create an experience people remember and leave good reviews about.
And because it’s RV-classified and turnkey, you can often move faster than traditional cabin construction, or even relocate it to better markets—while still delivering an authentic cabin feel.
Contact us today and let’s find your new New York getaway together!
