LANDLORD GUIDE · WEST VIRGINIA
Reviewed November 13, 2026
For an existing private residential tenancy. Fixed-term changes, assisted housing, mobile-home spaces and required local forms need a separate review. This guide explains selected rules; it is not a coverage determination or legal advice for a particular property.
One full period is different from an arbitrary month
West Virginia §37-6-5 addresses termination of a periodic tenancy and calls for a notice period tied to the tenancy period. It is not a dedicated statute authorizing every rent increase. Read the lease's modification and renewal terms before proposing a higher amount.
The online tool uses a full future monthly cycle and at least 30 days as a planning floor. A fixed lease paid monthly is not necessarily a monthly tenancy. Where the contract requires agreement to new terms or a longer notice, keep that requirement in the process.
Identify what the tenant will actually pay
Compare the current rent with the proposed rent and separately identify any new charge or shifted utility obligation. The notice's unchanged-terms statement should be true. If more than rent changes, use a clear amendment rather than relying on a dollar figure in the rent box.
A housing program, deed restriction or subsidy contract can have its own amount and approval rules. The ordinary private monthly notice does not determine those limits.
Example: rental periods can start midmonth
For a monthly period beginning on the fifteenth, a proposal received on June 25 cannot automatically change the July 15 payment. Plan a later eligible fifteenth that provides the required full period and respects the agreement. Moving $850 to $892.50 is a $42.50 or 5% increase; show the exact amount so neither party has to infer rounding.
Keep the proposal separate from termination
Save the agreement, calculation, signed notice and delivery evidence. Note any acceptance or dispute and make the payment portal match the final permitted date. If the tenant rejects the proposal, review the available process before treating the new amount as debt or assuming the tenancy has ended. Do not add a move-out demand to this continuing-tenancy form; §37-6-5 and any possession proceeding require their own review.
Official sources and updates
Dated caps apply only to the periods stated. Check the official sources before preparing a later increase.