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.
The county sets no STR insurance requirement in unincorporated areas, so coverage there is a matter of protecting yourself rather than meeting a rule. Charleston is different: its Short-Term Rental Permit application requires an insurance certification, so a Charleston host must carry a policy that covers rental use. Everywhere, the catch is the same; a standard homeowner policy usually excludes commercial rental activity, and platform-provided coverage like Airbnb's Host Protection may not fill the gap. Hosts should ask their insurer for a short-term-rental endorsement or a dedicated commercial policy before taking guests.
In Charleston, failing to show required insurance can block permit approval or renewal. Anywhere, an uncovered guest injury or property-damage claim can fall back on the host personally.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Kanawha County, WV
Kanawha County does not regulate holiday lights, inflatables, or yard displays on private property, and West Virginia has no state holiday-display law. No co...
Kanawha County, WV
Temporary garage-sale signs are generally fine on your own property. Unincorporated Kanawha County barely regulates them; cities apply their zoning sign code...
Kanawha County, WV
Political signs are allowed on private property across Kanawha County. Unincorporated areas have little sign regulation; Charleston's zoning code governs sig...
Kanawha County, WV
West Virginia has no statewide rental license, and unincorporated Kanawha County runs no rental registry. Programs are municipal: West Virginia Code §8-12-16...
Kanawha County, WV
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 §...
Kanawha County, WV
Neither Kanawha County nor Charleston can impose rent control. West Virginia is a Dillon's Rule state, and the Legislature has never granted local government...
See how Kanawha County's insurance requirements rules stack up against other locations.
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