City Watch — Elkins
Pending STR legislation and regulatory rating tracking for Elkins.
- City-levied 6% hotel/motel occupancy tax reaching short-term whole-home rentals via broad 'hotel' definition (cabins, tourist homes, condominiums)
- General rental registration (Ordinance 171) is a non-STR-specific safety/inspection program
- General business license required for short- and long-term rentals, not STR-specific
Based on: Elkins Code of Ordinances — Hotel/Motel Tax, City Ordinance 180 (approved Sept. 4, 2014); Rental Registration Program
“Elkins Zoning Code Ch.152 (Ord.301, adopted 2022-08-18): §152.056 defines 'Inn III' as "A private residence in which overnight accommodations are provided for not more than eight transient paying guests in up to four bedrooms at any particular time, for not more than 180 consecutive days" — with NO owner-occupancy requirement (the non-owner-occupied whole-residence STR class). Appendix B Land Use Table cell values: Inn III → R-1 = (blank/not permitted), R-2 = (blank/not permitted), CBD = P, Commercial B-1 = P (legend: P=permitted by-right, C=conditional, blank=not permitted). Non-owner whole-residence STR is therefore barred from EVERY residential district and permitted only in commercial zones; the only residential-zone transient-rental paths (Inn I/II) require owner occupancy/presence. Residential-zone exclusion foreclosing whole-home/absentee STR => Restrictive.”— Elkins Code of Ordinances — Hotel/Motel Tax, City Ordinance 180 (approved Sept. 4, 2014); Rental Registration Program
View the ordinance source ↗✓ Verified
Last reviewed Sep 21, 2026 · Sources · Report an error
Pending legislation
Monitoring Elkins · system last checked Sep 21, 2026
City Watch tracks changes from public sources (council agendas, state bills, local news) as coverage is activated for this market — not a complete legal compendium.
A city permit is not the whole picture — HOA, condominium, deed, or lease rules may be stricter.
City Watch provides good-faith summaries of publicly available information as of the review date shown. Rules, enforcement, and permit availability can change, and summaries may contain errors or omissions. Ratings describe the general regulatory environment; they do not establish whether a particular property or stay is permitted. This is general information, not legal advice. Before buying, listing, or hosting, verify applicable requirements with the responsible authorities and review any HOA, condominium, deed, or lease restrictions.