Utah Landlord-Tenant Law
Know your rights as a renter in Utah. This guide covers security deposits, landlord entry, rent increases, eviction protections, and more under Utah law.
Legal basis: Utah landlord-tenant law — Utah Code
30
Days to Return Deposit
No limit
Max Deposit
24h
Entry Notice
Not Required
Deposit Escrow
What Utah law says about deposits
Maximum Deposit
No limit
Return Deadline
30 days
Penalties, interest & late-fee rules under Utah law
If your deposit is wrongfully or late returned
If the landlord still fails to return the deposit within 5 business days after the renter serves the statutory deposit-disposition notice, the renter may recover the full deposit, the full prepaid rent, and a $100 civil penalty (Utah Code § 57-17-5); court costs and attorney fees are awarded to the prevailing party only if the court finds the opposing party acted in bad faith.
Interest on your deposit is not required
Grace period
Utah law sets no grace period
Must be in the lease
Yes — a late fee is only enforceable if it is written into your lease
Your privacy protections
Required Notice Period
24 hours
unless your lease sets its own entry terms (Utah Code § 57-22-4(2))
In Utah, your lease's entry terms decide how much notice your landlord must give. This notice applies only if the lease says nothing about entry.
Exceptions: Utah's statute has none of its own. Your lease decides when your landlord may enter without notice, including in an emergency.
No notice statute; no caps
Legal basis: No Statute
24 hours dangerous, 3 days habitability
Legal basis: UCA §§ 57-22-3, 57-22-4, 57-22-6
Narrow protection
Legal basis: UCA § 57-22-5.1
One month's rent fee
Legal basis: UCA § 57-22-5.1
Self-help illegal
Legal basis: UCA § 78B-6-814
Important facts about Utah rental law
Utah has no limit on security deposits.
Utah landlords must return deposits within 30 days of move-out.
Utah requires landlords to provide itemized deductions in writing.
In Utah, a landlord must give 24 hours' notice before entering unless the lease sets its own entry terms (Utah Code § 57-22-4(2)).
Something else? Contact our team
Utah does not have a statutory limit on security deposits.
Utah landlords must return security deposits within 30 days after you move out.
In Utah, landlords must give 24 hours' notice before entering your rental unit (unless your lease sets its own entry terms (Utah Code § 57-22-4(2))).
Late fees in Utah: Greater of 10% of periodic rent or $75. Utah law sets no grace period.
No notice statute; no caps. No Utah statute sets how much notice a landlord must give before raising rent. The owner's notice to end a month-to-month tenancy is at least 15 calendar days before the end of the month (Utah Code § 78B-6-802(1)(b)). No statewide cap, and local governments may not control rent or fees (Utah Code § 57-20-1). Source: No Statute.
24 hours dangerous, 3 days habitability. Landlord must keep the home fit to live in, with working electrical, plumbing, heating, and hot and cold water (UCA §§ 57-22-3, 57-22-4). Dangerous condition: landlord must start fixing within 24 hours of notice given by any reasonable means (UCA § 57-22-6(3)). Other habitability problems: landlord has 3 calendar days after written notice to take substantial action (UCA § 57-22-6(1), (4)). Something the lease promises: 10 calendar days (UCA § 57-22-6(1)). Your notice must pick a remedy: end the lease with deposit and prepaid rent refunded, or repair and deduct up to two months' rent (UCA § 57-22-6(4)). You must be current on rent and following the lease to use these remedies (UCA §§ 57-22-5, 57-22-6(4)(b)). Source: UCA §§ 57-22-3, 57-22-4, 57-22-6.
Narrow protection. Utah has no general anti-retaliation statute for residential renters. An owner may not restrict, penalize or evict you for reasonable requests for help from police, fire, an ambulance or another public safety agency (UCA § 57-22-5.1(10)). Retaliatory eviction is a defense in an eviction case: a landlord who rents homes as a business may not end or refuse to renew your tenancy, if you are not materially in default, mainly because you complained in good faith about a housing-law violation, and you must prove that motive (Building Monitoring Systems, Inc. v. Paxton, 905 P.2d 1215 (Utah 1995)). Fair-housing reprisals are barred by UCA § 57-21-7. Source: UCA § 57-22-5.1.
One month's rent fee. A renter who is a victim of domestic violence may end the lease, but must pay a termination fee equal to one month's rent. Give written notice with a court protective order or a police report, move out within 15 days and pay rent for those days. You must be current on the lease (except a shortfall caused by the violence in the past 30 days) and not already served with an eviction notice. Source: UCA § 57-22-5.1.
Self-help illegal. Self-help evictions illegal. Court process required. Contact police if locked out. Source: UCA § 78B-6-814.
Utah tenants have rights including security deposit protections, notice requirements for landlord entry, habitability standards, and protections against retaliation. Use Honestkey to analyze your specific lease against Utah law.
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