A. Person in control: an employee or owner with the ability to regulate, restrain, dominate, counteract or govern conduct that occurs on or at the motel, hotel, inn, or other facility designed for overnight rental.

B. Customer: any person who pays valuable consideration to occupy any room or rooms in a motel, hotel, inn, or other facility designed for overnight rental.

C. Employee: any officer, director, agent, or employee of a motel, or any independent contractor who works on or at the rental property.

D. Fee: the consideration charged by the operator for the occupancy of space in a motel, valued in money, goods, labor, credits, or other consideration.

E. Motel: any structure, or portion of any structure, which is occupied or intended or designed for dwelling, lodging, or sleeping purposes and includes but is not limited to any hotel, inn, tourist home, studio hotel, bachelor hotel, lodging house, and rooming house.

F. Occupancy: the use or possession, or the right to the use or possession, for lodging or sleeping purposes of any room or rooms in a motel.

G. Operator: the person who is the proprietor of the motel in any capacity.

H. Owner: any person, agent, firm, or corporation having a legal or equitable interest in a motel, and includes, but is not limited to a mortgagee in whom possession is vested all or part of the legal title to the property or all or part of the beneficial ownership and a right to present use and enjoyment of the property.