Short-Term Rentals in Charleston, WV (2026)
2 verified short-term rentals rules for Charleston, West Virginia, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Short-Term Rental Permits
Charleston requires a free residential rental license for any rental unit leased "by day, week, month, year, or any other term": a definition that pulls Airbnb-style short-term rentals into the same rule as long-term leases.
Charleston Short-Term Rental License Requirement
Significant RestrictionsSec. 18-1173
On July 1, 2010 and thereafter, it shall be unlawful for any owner to lease or rent, or hold out for rent or lease by advertisement or otherwise, a rental unit located within the city without possession of a valid residential rental license for that rental unit, authorized by the city and complying with all provisions of this article. The residential rental license requirement provided for in t...
Taxes & Fees
Charleston collects a 6% municipal hotel occupancy tax on short-term lodging, covering hotels, motels, inns, and tourist homes; guests staying 30+ consecutive days are exempt.
Charleston's 6% Short-Term Rental Occupancy Tax
Some RestrictionsSec. 110-251, Charleston, WV Code of Ordinances
There is imposed a municipal hotel tax upon all hotels located within the corporate limits, including any hotels owned by the state or by any political subdivision of the state. The tax shall be imposed on the consumer and shall be collected by the hotel operator as part of the consideration paid for the occupancy of a hotel room; provided, that the tax shall not be imposed on any consumer occu...
Looking for Kanawha County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Charleston city rules.
Short-Term Rentals in Kanawha County →