W. Va. Code §§ 37-6-1 to 37-6-31 § 37-6-1
Rights of parties on transfer of land or reversion.
Operative Text
An heir, devisee, grantee or assignee of any land let to lease, or of the reversion thereof, and his heirs, personal representative or assigns, shall enjoy against the lessee, his personal representative, devisees or assigns, the like advantage by action or entry upon any condition or forfeiture, or by action upon any covenant or promise in the lease, which the grantor, assignor, or lessor might have enjoyed.
West Virginia Code § 37-6-1 establishes that when ownership of leased property — or the landlord's reversionary interest in it — is transferred to a new owner through inheritance, devise, grant, or assignment, that new owner steps into the original landlord's legal shoes. The new owner inherits the same rights to enforce lease conditions, forfeitures, covenants, and promises that the original landlord held. In effect, a change in property ownership does not extinguish the contractual and legal mechanisms built into the original lease.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under § 37-6-1, property owners who acquire leased land through purchase, inheritance, or assignment generally inherit the full set of enforcement rights that existed under the original lease. Compliant operators typically review the existing lease at the time of acquisition to understand which conditions, covenants, and forfeiture clauses they may rely upon. Documenting the chain of title and notifying tenants of the ownership transfer are practices commonly associated with preserving those inherited rights.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Section § 37-6-1 means that a change in who owns the property does not automatically alter the terms of an existing lease or strip tenants of the protections embedded in it. The new owner acquires the same rights the prior landlord had — but no greater rights — so lease covenants and conditions remain in force as originally written. Tenants who believe a new owner is attempting to enforce terms beyond what the original lease allows may wish to review their lease documents, contact a tenant-rights organization, or consult a licensed attorney familiar with West Virginia landlord-tenant law.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated October 26, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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