Boat Slip Lease Agreement Template (US)
Updated on August 13, 2026
A boat slip lease is the agreement between a marina, dock owner or private slip holder and a boat owner for the use of a berth. It has to do three things the free versions in circulation rarely do: describe the berth and the vessel precisely enough to know the boat fits, allocate the risks of leaving a vessel in the water — weather, spills, sinking, abandonment — and give the slip owner a lawful route to unpaid dockage.
The widely copied free version skips from clause VII to clause IX, so an entire clause is missing from its own numbering. It refunds a 'reservation fee' that no clause in the document ever creates, on two contradictory notice periods. It records the boat's name, type, model and hull identification number but not its length, beam or draft — the three numbers that decide whether the boat fits the slip. It requires 'appropriate insurance' without stating a minimum, has no spill or waste clause, no storm plan, and no remedy for unpaid dockage. This template replaces all of that.
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Boat Slip Lease Agreement
- Date:
- Lessor:
- , —
- Lessee:
- , —
The Lessor grants the Lessee the use of the berth described below for the vessel described below, for the term and on the terms set out in this Agreement.
1. The berth
- Marina:
- Dock and slip:
- Slip length:
- Slip width:
- Controlling depth (MLW):
- Shore power:
- Included in the rate:
The Lessor confirms that it holds the permits and consents needed to operate the berth and that the berth is inspected as required by the competent authorities. The Lessee may use the berth only for the vessel identified below.
2. The vessel
- Name:
- Make, model and year:
- Hull identification number:
- Registration / documentation number:
- Length overall:
- Beam:
- Draft:
- Air draft:
The Lessee confirms that these dimensions are accurate and that the vessel fits the berth. The Lessee must tell the Lessor before substituting a different vessel or making any change that alters these dimensions.
3. Condition on arrival
The parties have inspected the vessel on arrival and record its condition as follows: . Either party may add photographs to this record. Damage not recorded here is treated as having occurred during the term unless the contrary is shown.
4. Term
The term runs from to . Either party may end the arrangement, or decline to renew it, by giving at least days' written notice. If the vessel remains in the berth after the term ends without the Lessor's written agreement, the Lessee shall pay for each day it remains, and the Lessor may exercise its rights under the Non-payment and abandonment provisions of this Agreement.
5. Charges, deposits and utilities
The dockage charge is per , payable in advance. The Lessee has paid a booking deposit of to hold the berth, which is applied against the first period's dockage. The Lessee shall also pay a security deposit of , refundable at the end of the term less any amount properly due. Late payments carry interest at percent per month from the due date.
Electricity and water are metered and charged separately as follows:
6. Cancellation and refunds
If the Lessee cancels before the term begins with at least days' written notice, the booking deposit and any dockage paid in advance are refunded in full. With less notice, the booking deposit is retained and dockage paid in advance is refunded. If the Lessor cannot make the berth available, it shall refund all amounts paid for the period the berth is unavailable.
7. Insurance
The Lessee shall keep the vessel insured throughout the term with third-party liability cover of at least , including cover for wreck removal and salvage, and shall name the Lessor as an additional insured where the policy permits. The Lessee's insurer and policy are: . A certificate of insurance must be given to the Lessor before the vessel takes the berth and on each renewal.
8. Risk
The vessel is berthed at the Lessee's risk as regards weather, tide, wash, wind and other natural conditions. The Lessor shall take reasonable care in operating the marina and maintaining the berth, and nothing in this Agreement excludes the Lessor's liability for death or personal injury caused by its negligence, or any other liability that cannot lawfully be excluded.
9. Marina rules and use of the berth
- The Lessee and their guests shall comply with the marina rules, speed limits and access procedures.
- The berth may not be used for any commercial activity, charter, exhibition or event without the Lessor's written consent.
- No firearms, fuel drums or hazardous materials may be kept aboard beyond normal ship's stores.
- Hot work, spray painting and major repairs on the dock require the Lessor's written consent.
- The Lessee shall keep the berth and finger clear, with lines and fenders properly set.
No person may live aboard the vessel while it is in the berth.
10. Pollution, sewage and waste
The Lessee must not discharge oil, fuel, sewage or waste into the water, must use the pump-out and waste facilities provided, and must take rubbish and used oil ashore for disposal. In-water hull cleaning and antifouling require the Lessor's written consent. Any spill must be reported immediately to the Lessor and, where a discharge causes a sheen or discoloration on the water, to the National Response Center on 800-424-8802 as required by federal regulations.
11. Severe weather and named storms
The Lessee shall keep a local contact able to move or secure the vessel: . On a named-storm warning affecting the marina, the Lessee shall secure or remove the vessel in accordance with the marina's storm plan within hours. If the Lessee and the local contact cannot be reached, the Lessor may take reasonable measures to secure or move the vessel at the Lessee's cost, without accepting responsibility for doing so.
12. Assignment, sub-letting and sale of the vessel
The Lessee may not assign this Agreement, sub-let the berth or allow another vessel to use it without the Lessor's written consent. If the vessel is sold, this Agreement does not transfer to the buyer automatically; the Lessee shall tell the Lessor before completion and the buyer must enter into a new agreement.
13. Non-payment, lien and abandonment
If dockage or other charges remain unpaid, the Lessor shall give the Lessee written notice and at least fourteen days to pay. If the charges remain unpaid after that period, the Lessor may withhold shore power, water and other services, may deny access to the berth, and may exercise any lien or enforcement right available to it under federal or state law in respect of unpaid charges for necessaries provided to the vessel. If the vessel is left in the berth with charges unpaid and the Lessee cannot be reached, the Lessor may treat it as abandoned and follow the state procedure for abandoned vessels.
14. Reassignment
The Lessor may move the vessel to a comparable berth on reasonable notice for dredging, maintenance, safety or operational reasons, and shall bear the cost of doing so.
15. General
This Agreement is governed by the laws of . If any provision is held unenforceable, the rest continues in force. Any change must be agreed in writing. This Agreement may be signed in counterparts, including electronically, and together they form one agreement.
Lessor
Date:
Lessee
Date:
Describe the berth and the boat by dimension
A slip is a physical space with limits. This template records the marina, the dock and slip identifier, the slip's length, width and controlling depth, and the utilities that come with it — shore power amperage and metering, water, pump-out access. Against that it records the vessel's length overall, beam, draft and air draft, plus its make, year, hull identification number and registration or documentation number.
Recording both sides is what prevents the two disputes that dominate berth arrangements: a boat that overhangs the finger or grounds at low water, and a boat owner charged for a bigger slip than they were given. It also makes any later reassignment straightforward, because the replacement slip can be measured against the same figures.
Set insurance minimums and get the certificate before berthing
'The Lessee is responsible for purchasing and maintaining appropriate insurance for the boat' sets no standard at all. This template requires a minimum third-party liability limit, wreck removal and salvage cover, the marina named as an additional insured where the policy allows, and a certificate of insurance delivered before the vessel takes the berth rather than 'if requested'.
Wreck removal is the clause most often missing and most expensive when it bites: a vessel that sinks in its slip has to be raised, and the cost lands on whoever cannot show cover. Setting the requirement in the lease is far cheaper than arguing about it afterwards.
Write the storm plan into the lease
In hurricane and severe-weather regions, marinas routinely require boats to be removed or secured to a published standard when a named storm is forecast, and to be crewed or hauled by a stated deadline. This template makes that an express obligation: the owner nominates a local contact who can move the vessel, agrees a deadline measured from the warning, and authorises the marina to take reasonable protective measures at the owner's cost if the owner cannot be reached.
The authority to act matters as much as the obligation. A marina that has to leave an unattended boat where it is because nothing in the lease lets it act is the reason storm damage propagates down a whole dock.
Give the slip owner a lawful route to unpaid dockage
The free version has no remedy at all for non-payment beyond an uncapped daily 'delay fee'. Under federal law, a person providing necessaries to a vessel on the order of the owner has a maritime lien on the vessel and may enforce it by an action in rem; dockage is commonly treated as necessaries, and many states add their own lien and sale procedures for unpaid marina charges.
This template states the position properly: interest on late payment at a stated rate, the marina's right to withhold services, an express reservation of any lien available under federal or state law, and a written-notice-and-cure procedure before any enforcement. It also adds an abandoned-vessel clause, because a boat left in a slip with unpaid fees is a problem that gets more expensive every week it is ignored.
Cover pollution, waste and in-water work
A document about keeping a boat in the water with nothing in it about the water is a strange omission. This template requires the owner to prevent discharges of oil, fuel and sewage, to use pump-out facilities rather than discharging in the marina, to keep waste and oily rags ashore, and to report any spill immediately both to the marina and to the National Response Center, which federal regulations require for a discharge that causes a sheen on the water.
It also addresses in-water hull cleaning and antifouling, which many marinas and state agencies restrict, and hot work and painting on the dock, which insurers care about a great deal.
Fix the refund mechanics and the missing clause
This template's payment section creates the amounts it later refunds: a booking deposit taken to hold the slip, the periodic dockage charge, a security deposit against damage and unpaid charges, and metered utility charges. The cancellation clause then works off those defined amounts with a single, coherent notice period.
It also fills the gaps the source leaves entirely: assignment and sub-letting, liveaboard status — which changes the marina's regulatory position and often its insurance — guests and access, parking and dinghy storage, the marina's right to reassign a slip on notice, and what happens at the end of the term if the vessel does not leave.
Clause-by-clause guide
- The berth
- Identifies the marina, dock and slip, and records the slip's length, width, controlling depth and utilities.
- The vessel
- Records length overall, beam, draft and air draft alongside the make, year, hull identification number and registration.
- Term and renewal
- Sets the start and end dates, whether the term renews, and the notice required to end it.
- Charges and utilities
- The dockage rate and billing period, metered electricity and water, booking deposit, security deposit and late-payment interest.
- Cancellation and refunds
- One notice period, applied to defined amounts, with the position on the booking deposit stated plainly.
- Insurance
- Minimum third-party limit, wreck removal and salvage cover, additional-insured status, and the certificate delivered before berthing.
- Condition report
- A record of the vessel's condition on arrival, so later damage can be located in time.
- Marina rules and conduct
- Speed limits, noise, guests, parking, dinghy storage, and no commercial use of the berth without consent.
- Liveaboard status
- States whether anyone may live aboard, because it changes the marina's regulatory, waste and insurance position.
- Storm and severe weather
- The owner's local contact, the deadline to secure or remove the vessel, and the marina's authority to act at the owner's cost.
- Pollution and waste
- No discharge of oil, fuel or sewage, pump-out use, waste ashore, restrictions on in-water cleaning, and spill reporting.
- Assignment and sub-letting
- Prevents the berth being passed on without consent, and covers what happens if the vessel is sold.
- Non-payment, lien and abandonment
- Interest, withdrawal of services, notice and cure, the reservation of any available lien, and the procedure for an abandoned vessel.
- Reassignment and end of term
- The marina's right to move the vessel to a comparable slip on notice, and the holding-over charge if it does not leave on time.
US compliance checklist
Berth arrangements sit across federal pollution and maritime lien law, state marina and lien statutes, and local marina permits.
Report oil discharges to the National Response Center
Any person in charge of a vessel must immediately notify the National Response Center on 800-424-8802 of a discharge of oil or a hazardous substance that causes a sheen or discoloration on the water or a sludge deposit. Put the number and the duty in the lease so the boat owner knows it.
33 CFR 153.203Know the federal maritime lien position for unpaid dockage
A person providing necessaries to a vessel on the order of the owner has a maritime lien on the vessel and may bring a civil action in rem to enforce it. Marina services such as dockage are commonly treated as necessaries — confirm the position and any state procedure before enforcing.
46 U.S.C. § 31342Check the state marina lien and abandoned-vessel statute
Most coastal and lake states have their own procedure for a marina to claim unpaid storage or dockage and to dispose of an abandoned vessel, with specific notice periods and publication requirements. Follow the state procedure — a lease clause does not replace it.
Require evidence of insurance before the vessel berths
Set a minimum third-party liability limit and require wreck removal and salvage cover, with the certificate delivered before the boat takes the slip rather than on request afterwards.
Check sewage discharge rules for the water body
Discharge of untreated sewage is prohibited in US navigable waters, and No Discharge Zones extend the restriction to treated sewage in designated areas. Require pump-out use and check whether the marina sits in a No Discharge Zone.
Confirm liveaboard status is permitted
Living aboard is often restricted by the marina's own permit, by local zoning and by waste-handling rules. State the position in the lease rather than leaving it to be discovered.
Confirm the tax treatment of dockage charges
Whether slip rental attracts state sales tax or a local transient-berthing tax varies by state and by whether the arrangement is treated as a lease of real property or a service. Confirm before pricing.
How to complete the boat slip lease
- Identify the berth. Add the marina, dock and slip number, the slip's length, width and controlling depth, and the utilities included.
- Record the vessel by dimension. Enter the length overall, beam, draft and air draft, plus the make, year, hull identification number and registration number.
- Set the term and charges. Add the start and end dates, the dockage rate and billing period, the deposits, and the late-payment interest rate.
- Set the insurance requirement. Enter the minimum third-party limit and confirm the certificate of insurance has been supplied before the vessel takes the slip.
- Agree the storm plan. Name the owner's local contact, set the deadline for securing or removing the vessel, and confirm the marina may act at the owner's cost if the owner cannot be reached.
- Complete the condition report and sign. Record the vessel's condition on arrival, attach any photographs, and have both parties sign before the boat berths.
Frequently asked questions
Is a boat slip lease a lease or a licence?
It varies. Some arrangements grant exclusive possession of a defined space and look like a lease; many marina agreements are drafted as licences to use a berth, with the marina keeping the right to reassign it. The label affects termination rights and sometimes tax treatment, so state clearly which one you intend — this template grants use of a specified slip with an express reassignment right, which suits most marina operations.
Why does the lease need the boat's beam and draft?
Because they decide whether the boat fits. Length alone tells you nothing about whether a wide-beam vessel will foul the neighbouring finger, or whether a deep-draft keel will touch bottom at low water in a slip with limited controlling depth. Recording all four dimensions, including air draft for bridges and power lines, prevents the two most common berthing disputes.
Can a marina keep or sell a boat over unpaid slip fees?
Not simply by writing it into the lease. Federal law gives a person providing necessaries to a vessel a maritime lien enforceable by an action in rem, and most states have their own marina lien and abandoned-vessel procedures with specific notice steps. The lease should reserve those rights and set a notice-and-cure process; the actual enforcement follows the statutory route.
What insurance should a marina require?
A minimum third-party liability limit appropriate to the size of vessel, plus wreck removal and salvage cover — the cost of raising a boat that sinks in its slip is the exposure marinas most often overlook. Ask to be named as an additional insured where the policy permits, and require the certificate before the vessel arrives.
What should the lease say about hurricanes and storms?
Who must move or secure the boat, by when, measured from a named-storm warning rather than a vague 'when necessary'; who the marina calls if the owner is away; and whether the marina may take protective measures at the owner's cost if nobody responds. Without that authority, an unattended boat can damage the whole dock.
Can I live aboard my boat in the slip?
Only if the lease says so. Living aboard changes the marina's waste-handling obligations, is often restricted by its own permits or local zoning, and can affect insurance. This template makes liveaboard status an explicit toggle rather than something discovered later.
Who pays for electricity and water at the slip?
State it. This template records whether shore power and water are included in the dockage rate or metered separately, along with the shore power amperage available — a boat that needs 50-amp service in a 30-amp slip is a problem best identified before the lease is signed.
What happens if I sell the boat during the term?
The berth does not automatically transfer with the vessel. This template requires the marina's written consent to assign the lease, so the marina can check the new owner's insurance and vessel dimensions before the boat changes hands in the slip.
Related templates
Disclaimer
This template and guide are for general information only. They are not legal advice, and no attorney or regulator has reviewed or approved them. Marina lien procedures, abandoned-vessel rules, discharge restrictions and the tax treatment of berth charges differ by state and by water body — confirm the rules that apply before using this document.
