3 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Kanawha County, West Virginia.
Verified from official government sources
Neither Kanawha County nor Charleston can impose rent control. West Virginia is a Dillon's Rule state, and the Legislature has never granted local governments authority to cap rent. Landlords set and raise rent at market, with proper notice.
West Virginia has no just-cause eviction law, and Kanawha County cannot add one. A landlord ends a month-to-month tenancy with a full period's notice under §37-6-5, then files a wrongful-occupation petition under §55-3A; only a judge can order removal.
W. Va. Code §55-3A-1
A person desiring to remove a tenant from residential rental property may apply for relief to the magistrate court or the circuit court of the county in which the property is located, by verified petition, setting forth the following:
West Virginia has no statewide rental license, and unincorporated Kanawha County runs no rental registry. Programs are municipal: West Virginia Code §8-12-16c lets cities register vacant buildings, and Charleston operates a Vacant Structures registry for its older housing stock.
W. Va. Code §8-12-16c(a)
The governing body of a municipality shall have plenary power and authority to establish by ordinance a vacant building and property registration and maintenance program.
1 cities in Kanawha County have their own rental property rules rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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