West Virginia Airbnb & Short-Term Rental Laws 2026
LawfulStay tracks short-term rental (STR / Airbnb / Vrbo / holiday let / vacation rental) regulations for 6 jurisdictions across West Virginia. Select a city below for current permit requirements, tax rates, and compliance details.
West Virginia at a glance
- Places tracked
- 6 places: 3 active, 2 conditional, 1 restricted
- License or registration
- Required in 4 of 5 local places
- Tax on stays
- Applies in all 5 local places
- State law
- West Virginia allows short-term rentals statewide with no state host license. Statewide rules ›
West Virginia short-term rental questions
Are short-term rentals legal in West Virginia?
In all 6 places we track in West Virginia, short-term rentals are allowed, 3 of them with permit conditions or limits.
Do I need a license for a short-term rental in West Virginia?
4 of 5 local places we track in West Virginia require a license, permit or registration. Check your city's page for its rules.
Is there a statewide short-term rental law in West Virginia?
West Virginia allows short-term rentals statewide with no state host license.
Which places in West Virginia have the strictest rules?
On our records: Shepherdstown.
Compare every West Virginia market
Status, licensing, fees, taxes, night caps and penalties for all 6 places in one table, with CSV export and full audits.
State Access →West Virginia Airbnb & Vacation Rental Regulation Overview
The short-term rental regulatory landscape in West Virginia encompasses 6 tracked jurisdictions: 3 with active regulations, 2 where rentals are allowed with conditions, 1 with restrictions. Hosts operating on platforms like Airbnb, VRBO, and Booking.com should verify local requirements before listing, as rules vary significantly between cities and regions.
4 of 6 tracked jurisdictions in West Virginia require some form of permit, license, or registration for short-term rental operations. Requirements range from simple online registration to comprehensive permit applications with inspections.
Tax obligations apply in 6 of 6 jurisdictions. Common taxes include occupancy taxes, tourist levies, and sales taxes. Many jurisdictions require hosts to register for tax collection, and some platforms like Airbnb collect and remit taxes automatically in select locations.
LawfulStay monitors West Virginia STR regulations daily and updates this page as rules change. Each city page includes detailed permit requirements, fee schedules, tax rates, zoning rules, and penalty information sourced from official government websites.