6 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Kanawha County, West Virginia.
Verified from official government sources
Unincorporated Kanawha County has no short-term-rental permit chapter, so an STR outside city limits operates under general rules. Charleston, by contrast, requires a Short-Term Rental Permit, a city business license, and a safety inspection.
Short-term-rental guests in unincorporated Kanawha County follow the same noise law as everyone: the Sheriff-enforced disorderly-conduct statute, W. Va. Code §61-6-1b. Charleston additionally ties guest noise to its STR permit.
W. Va. Code §61-6-1b
disturbs the peace of others by violent, profane, indecent or boisterous conduct or language or by the making of unreasonably loud noise that is intended to cause annoyance or alarm to another person
A short-term stay in Kanawha County owes West Virginia's 6% consumers sales tax plus a 6% hotel occupancy tax, levied by the county in unincorporated areas and by Charleston and other cities within their limits.
W. Va. Code §7-18-1
On and after July 1, 1985, any county or municipality may impose and collect a privilege tax upon the occupancy of hotel rooms located within its taxing jurisdiction.
Unincorporated Kanawha County sets no short-term-rental parking rule; guests park on the property under general standards. On the county's steep, narrow hillside roads, off-street parking is the practical concern. HOA covenants are the main limit.
Unincorporated Kanawha County sets no short-term-rental occupancy cap; the practical limit is the dwelling's septic and building capacity. Charleston ties occupancy to bedroom count and building standards through its STR permit.
Unincorporated Kanawha County doesn't mandate short-term-rental insurance, but the City of Charleston requires proof of insurance as part of its Short-Term Rental Permit. Standard homeowner policies often exclude rental activity either way.
1 cities in Kanawha County have their own short-term rentals rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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Kanawha County Ordinance Hub →