West Virginia Mold, Pests, Heat & AC Rules
West Virginia rules on mold, pests, heat & ac for renters and landlords, with the statute or official page behind each answer. Last verified: 2026-10-22.
Short answer: No statute — West Virginia's landlord-tenant law does not mention mold and sets no disclosure or remediation rule. W. Va. Code § 37-6-30(a)(1)-(2), (4), (c)
The rules in West Virginia
| Mold | No statute — West Virginia's landlord-tenant law does not mention mold and sets no disclosure or remediation rule. Mold is governed by the general duty to deliver and maintain the unit in a fit and habitable condition, to meet applicable health, safety, fire and housing codes, and to make repairs needed to keep it habitable — unless the problem was caused by the tenant, family or guests' lack of reasonable care. The landlord need not make repairs while the tenant is behind on rent. Local housing or health codes may address mold. |
|---|---|
| Pests & bed bugs | No statute — no pest or bed-bug provision in the landlord-tenant chapter. Infestations are handled under the fit-and-habitable duty and applicable health and housing codes; the landlord's duty does not extend to conditions caused by the tenant, family members or guests, or to repairs while rent is in arrears. Source: W. Va. Code § 37-6-30 |
| Heat | Yes. For units served by direct public utility connections, the landlord must supply reasonable heat between October 1 and the last day of April (plus running water and reasonable hot water at all times), unless heat is generated by an installation within the tenant's exclusive control. The landlord must also keep heating facilities it supplies in good and safe working order. No minimum temperature is set by state law. A lease that imposes a greater duty on the landlord controls (§ 37-6-30(b)). |
| Air conditioning | No duty to provide air conditioning and no maximum indoor temperature. If air conditioning is supplied (or required by agreement or law), the landlord must maintain it in good and safe working order. Source: W. Va. Code § 37-6-30(a)(5) |
| Smoke and CO detectors | One- and two-family homes must have a working smoke detector near each sleeping area. The owner must provide, install and replace the smoke detectors, and in a home the owner does not live in, the tenant must do routine maintenance on them. On written request, the owner must install a light-signal detector for a deaf or hard-of-hearing occupant. Carbon monoxide detectors are required in newly built residential units with fuel-burning heat or cooking, and in rentals (including one- and two-family rentals) in sleeping rooms next to, above or below rooms with fuel-burning appliances. Violations are misdemeanors with fines starting at $250. Source: W. Va. Code § 15A-10-12 |
Related questions
- Does a landlord have to fix mold?
- Who pays for pest control and bed bugs in a rental?
- Does a landlord have to provide heat?
- Does a landlord have to provide air conditioning?
West Virginia vs. neighboring states
| State | Mold | Pests & bed bugs | Heat |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Virginia | No statute — West Virginia's landlord-tenant law does not mention mold and sets no disclosure or remediation rule. Mold is governed by the general duty to deliver and maintain the unit in a fit and habitable condition, to meet applicable health, safety, fire and housing codes, and to make repairs needed to keep it habitable — unless the problem was caused by the tenant, family or guests' lack of reasonable care. The landlord need not make repairs while the tenant is behind on rent. W. Va. Code § 37-6-30(a)(1)-(2), (4), (c) | No statute — no pest or bed-bug provision in the landlord-tenant chapter. Infestations are handled under the fit-and-habitable duty and applicable health and housing codes; the landlord's duty does not extend to conditions caused by the tenant, family members or guests, or to repairs while rent is in arrears. W. Va. Code § 37-6-30 | Yes. For units served by direct public utility connections, the landlord must supply reasonable heat between October 1 and the last day of April (plus running water and reasonable hot water at all times), unless heat is generated by an installation within the tenant's exclusive control. The landlord must also keep heating facilities it supplies in good and safe working order. No minimum temperature is set by state law. W. Va. Code § 37-6-30(a)(5), (a)(7) |
| Kentucky | No statute — Kentucky has no mold-specific landlord-tenant law. Where the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (URLTA) has been locally adopted, mold falls under the landlord's duties to comply with building and housing codes materially affecting health and safety and to do whatever is necessary to keep the premises fit and habitable. Outside URLTA areas, no statewide habitability statute applies; the lease and local codes govern. KRS 383.595(1)(a), (b); KRS 383.500 | No statute — Kentucky does not specifically assign pest or bed-bug treatment and has no bed-bug disclosure rule. In URLTA areas, infestations fall under the landlord's code-compliance and fit-and-habitable duties and the tenant's duty to keep the unit clean and dispose of garbage properly. Elsewhere, the lease and local codes govern. KRS 383.595(1)(a), (b); KRS 383.605(2), (3) | In URLTA areas, yes: the landlord must supply running water, reasonable amounts of hot water at all times, and reasonable heat between October 1 and May 1 — unless the building is not required by law to be so equipped or heat/hot water is produced by equipment under the tenant's exclusive control with a direct utility connection. Heating facilities the landlord supplies must be kept in good and safe working order. No numeric minimum temperature is set. Outside URLTA areas, there is no statewide heat statute. KRS 383.595(1)(d), (e) |
| Maryland | Yes, by statute (Maryland Tenant Mold Protection Act, effective July 1, 2025). Landlords must give each tenant the state mold information pamphlet when the lease is signed and on request, and ask the tenant to sign an acknowledgment. Within 15 days after written notice of mold from the tenant, a building occupant or the local housing-code agency, the landlord must do a mold assessment. If mold is found, the landlord must remediate it within 45 days after the assessment, or within a reasonable time if 45 days isn't feasible. Assessment and remediation must follow industry guidelines and state and local law. The landlord must keep the property properly ventilated with low indoor humidity, communicate with occupants during the work, and meet minimum livability codes. Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-220; Md. Code, Envir. § 6-1702 (2025 Md. Laws ch. 539, SB 856) | No bed-bug-specific statute. A rodent infestation in two or more units is a listed serious defect: if the landlord fails to fix it within a reasonable time after notice (over 30 days is presumed unreasonable), the tenant may use rent escrow. Other infestations that create a health hazard can also qualify. The state Minimum Livability Code, which adopts the International Property Maintenance Code, applies where no substantially similar local code exists. Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-211(d)(3), (d)(5), (g); COMAR 09.12.54.03-.04 | Lack of heat is a listed serious defect: if the landlord doesn't fix it within a reasonable time after notice, the tenant can use rent escrow. This does not apply when the tenant pays the utility and the lack of heat is from the tenant's own nonpayment. No state statute sets a minimum temperature. The state Minimum Livability Code adopts the 2012 International Property Maintenance Code, which contains heating standards, for housing in localities without a substantially similar local code. Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-211(d)(1); COMAR 09.12.54.03-.04 |
| Ohio | No statute — general habitability/repair duty applies. Ohio has no mold disclosure, remediation or exposure-standard law for rentals; the landlord must comply with building, housing, health and safety codes and 'do whatever is reasonably necessary to put and keep the premises in a fit and habitable condition.' Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.04(A)(1)-(2) | No statute — no bed-bug or pest-specific state law. The landlord must keep the premises fit and habitable and common areas safe and sanitary; the tenant must keep the part of the premises the tenant occupies safe and sanitary and dispose of garbage in a clean, safe and sanitary manner. Ohio Rev. Code §§ 5321.04(A)(2)-(3), 5321.05(A)(1)-(2) | Yes. The landlord must supply 'reasonable heat at all times' and keep landlord-supplied heating fixtures in good and safe working order, except where the building is not required by law to be equipped for heat or heat is generated by an installation in the tenant's exclusive control on a direct utility connection. No statewide minimum temperature or heating season. Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.04(A)(4), (6) |
| Pennsylvania | No statute — Pennsylvania has no mold disclosure, remediation or exposure-standard law for rentals. Conditions such as mold are governed by the court-created implied warranty of habitability, which requires the landlord to keep the unit fit and habitable and to fix serious defects affecting safety or the ability to live there; the duty cannot be waived by the lease. Implied warranty of habitability (Pugh v. Holmes, 405 A.2d 897 (Pa. 1979)), as described in the PA Attorney General's Consumer Guide to Tenant and Landlord Rights | No statute — no state bed-bug or pest law for rentals. The Attorney General lists rodent infestation as an example of an uninhabitable condition under the implied warranty of habitability; the tenant must notify the landlord and allow a reasonable opportunity to fix it. Implied warranty of habitability (Pugh v. Holmes, 405 A.2d 897 (Pa. 1979)); PA AG Consumer Guide, Part IV.C | No state statute sets a heat requirement or minimum temperature for rentals. Lack of heat in winter is treated as an uninhabitable condition under the implied warranty of habitability. Implied warranty of habitability (Pugh v. Holmes, 405 A.2d 897 (Pa. 1979)); PA AG Consumer Guide, Part IV.C |
| Virginia | Yes — detailed statute. Disclosure: the move-in inspection report must state whether there is visible evidence of mold in readily accessible interior areas; a 'no visible mold' statement is deemed correct unless the tenant objects in writing within 5 days. If mold is disclosed, the tenant may terminate and not take (or keep) possession, or take possession and have the landlord remediate within 5 business days, reinspect and issue a new report. Duty: the landlord must maintain the premises to prevent moisture accumulation and mold growth, respond promptly to tenant notices, and promptly remediate visible mold to professional standards, reinspect, and give the tenant a summary of remediation information. Where mold materially affects health or safety, the landlord may relocate the tenant for up to 30 days to a comparable unit or hotel at no cost to the tenant (rent continues). Tenants must use reasonable efforts to prevent moisture and mold and promptly report it. Va. Code § 55.1-1215; § 55.1-1220(A)(5); § 55.1-1227(A)(10); § 55.1-1231 | The landlord's general duty to keep the premises fit and habitable and to comply with housing codes applies. The tenant must keep the part of the unit the tenant occupies free from insects and pests and promptly notify the landlord of them, and is financially responsible for added treatment costs caused by unreasonable delay in reporting and for treatment costs caused by the tenant's fault in failing to prevent infestation. The landlord must give at least 48 hours' written notice before applying insecticide or pesticide in a unit (unless the tenant requested it or agrees to less), post notice for common-area applications, and the tenant must prepare the unit per the landlord's written instructions. Va. Code § 55.1-1220(A)(1)-(2); § 55.1-1227(A)(3), (14); § 55.1-1223 | Yes. The landlord must supply heat in season (unless heat is generated by equipment within the tenant's exclusive control or supplied by a direct public utility connection) and keep heating facilities in good and safe working order. Heat is an 'essential service'; if the landlord willfully or negligently fails to supply it, the tenant may give written notice and, after a reasonable time to correct, pursue statutory remedies (such as damages for reduced rental value). State law sets no minimum temperature or dates for the heating season; local codes may. Va. Code § 55.1-1220(A)(4), (7); § 55.1-1200 ('essential service'); § 55.1-1239 |
More West Virginia rental law
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- West Virginia Repairs & Tenant Remedies
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- Squatters' Rights in West Virginia
- West Virginia Rental Fee Rules
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- All West Virginia landlord-tenant rules
- Free legal help in West Virginia
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West Virginia Mold, Pests, Heat & AC Rules FAQ
Does a landlord have to fix mold in West Virginia?
No statute — West Virginia's landlord-tenant law does not mention mold and sets no disclosure or remediation rule. Mold is governed by the general duty to deliver and maintain the unit in a fit and habitable condition, to meet applicable health, safety, fire and housing codes, and to make repairs needed to keep it habitable — unless the problem was caused by the tenant, family or guests' lack of reasonable care. The landlord need not make repairs while the tenant is behind on rent. (W. Va. Code § 37-6-30(a)(1)-(2), (4), (c))
Who pays for pest control and bed bugs in West Virginia?
No statute — no pest or bed-bug provision in the landlord-tenant chapter. Infestations are handled under the fit-and-habitable duty and applicable health and housing codes; the landlord's duty does not extend to conditions caused by the tenant, family members or guests, or to repairs while rent is in arrears. (W. Va. Code § 37-6-30)
Does a landlord have to provide heat in West Virginia?
Yes. For units served by direct public utility connections, the landlord must supply reasonable heat between October 1 and the last day of April (plus running water and reasonable hot water at all times), unless heat is generated by an installation within the tenant's exclusive control. The landlord must also keep heating facilities it supplies in good and safe working order. No minimum temperature is set by state law. (W. Va. Code § 37-6-30(a)(5), (a)(7))
Does a landlord have to provide air conditioning in West Virginia?
No duty to provide air conditioning and no maximum indoor temperature. If air conditioning is supplied (or required by agreement or law), the landlord must maintain it in good and safe working order. (W. Va. Code § 37-6-30(a)(5))
Who is responsible for smoke detectors in a rental in West Virginia?
One- and two-family homes must have a working smoke detector near each sleeping area. The owner must provide, install and replace the smoke detectors, and in a home the owner does not live in, the tenant must do routine maintenance on them. On written request, the owner must install a light-signal detector for a deaf or hard-of-hearing occupant. Carbon monoxide detectors are required in newly built residential units with fuel-burning heat or cooking, and in rentals (including one- and two-family rentals) in sleeping rooms next to, above or below rooms with fuel-burning appliances. Violations are misdemeanors with fines starting at $250. (W. Va. Code § 15A-10-12)
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.