Rent control rules in Kanawha County, WV — also known as rent stabilization or rent cap ordinances — limit annual rent increases and protect tenants from displacement.
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 rent control anywhere, and no local government may create it. As a Dillon's Rule state, a West Virginia county or city holds only the powers the Legislature expressly grants, and lawmakers have never delegated authority to regulate rent. So neither Kanawha County nor Charleston, South Charleston, St. Albans, Dunbar, or Nitro may cap rent or limit increases. A landlord sets the opening rent at market and raises it to any amount at renewal. For a month-to-month tenancy, W. Va. Code §37-6-5 requires a full rental period's written notice before the change. State tenant protections still apply, including security-deposit return under §37-6A.
No rent cap exists to violate. Any local ordinance attempting to regulate rent would exceed a West Virginia municipality's delegated authority and could not be enforced against a Kanawha County landlord.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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