What are the landlord-tenant laws in Utah?
Utah landlord-tenant law for apartments sits in three places. The Utah Fit Premises Act (Utah Code Title 57, Chapter 22) covers habitability, entry and fees. Title 57, Chapter 17 covers security deposits. The unlawful detainer statute, Utah Code 78B-6-801 and the sections after it, covers notices and evictions. Utah law is friendly to owners compared with coastal states: no deposit cap, short notice periods and a fast court track.
Utah landlord-tenant rules at a glance
The table lists the rules apartment owners use most, with the statute for each.
| Rule | Utah requirement | Statute |
|---|---|---|
| Ending a month-to-month tenancy | Notice at least 15 calendar days before the end of the month or period | Utah Code 78B-6-802(1)(b)(i) |
| End of a fixed-term lease | Ends at expiration without notice | Utah Code 78B-6-802(1)(a) |
| Tenancy at will | 5 calendar days’ notice | Utah Code 78B-6-802(1)(b)(ii) |
| Nonpayment of rent | 3 business days to pay or vacate | Utah Code 78B-6-802(1)(c) |
| Lease violation | 3 calendar days to comply or vacate | Utah Code 78B-6-802(1)(h) |
| Security deposit cap | None; any nonrefundable part must be stated in writing | Utah Code 57-17-2 |
| Deposit return | 30 days after the tenant vacates and returns possession, with itemized deductions | Utah Code 57-17-3 |
| Late fees | No more than the greater of 10% of rent or $75 | Utah Code 57-22-4(5) |
| Entry | At least 24 hours’ notice unless the lease says otherwise | Utah Code 57-22-4(2) |
| Rent control | Preempted statewide | Utah Code 57-20-1 |
How much notice does a landlord have to give in Utah?
A Utah landlord must serve notice at least 15 calendar days before the end of the rental period to end a month-to-month tenancy, under Utah Code 78B-6-802(1)(b)(i). The tenancy then ends at the end of that month. If rent is due on the first, a notice served on May 10 ends the tenancy on May 31; a notice served on May 20 is too late for May and ends it on June 30.
A fixed-term lease ends on its expiration date without any notice, unless the lease itself requires one. Many Utah leases do, so read yours before relying on the statute. A tenant at will, with no rental agreement at all, gets 5 calendar days.
Notices for unpaid rent and lease violations
For unpaid rent, Utah gives the tenant 3 business days after service to pay everything due or move out. Weekends and court holidays don’t count, so a notice served on a Friday runs through the following Wednesday, and the landlord can file on Thursday.
Most other grounds use 3 calendar days. A curable lease violation gets 3 calendar days to comply or leave. Nuisance, waste, unlawful business on the premises, criminal acts and subletting in breach of the lease get a 3-day notice to vacate. Utah Courts publishes a separate form for each, from 1001EV for nonpayment to 1050EV for a tenant at will, and using the right one avoids a dismissal.
Security deposit rules in Utah
Utah sets no limit on the size of a security deposit, but any part that is nonrefundable has to be stated in writing when you take the deposit (Utah Code 57-17-2). If it isn’t, the whole amount is refundable.
Within 30 days after the tenant vacates and returns possession, you must send the balance of the deposit and any prepaid rent with a written, itemized explanation of each deduction (Utah Code 57-17-3). You may deduct unpaid rent, damage beyond reasonable wear and tear, cleaning and other costs the lease provides for. Since House Bill 480 (2025), you may send the refund and itemization electronically if the tenant gave you a way to do so.
If you miss the deadline, the tenant can serve a notice, and you then have five business days to comply. A landlord who still fails to comply can owe the full deposit plus a $100 civil penalty, and attorney fees if a court finds bad faith (Utah Code 57-17-5).
Late fees and entry notice in Utah
A Utah late fee can’t exceed the greater of 10% of the rent in the rental agreement or $75 (Utah Code 57-22-4(5)). On a $1,200 apartment the cap is $120; on a $650 unit it is $75. On a month-to-month agreement, a charge not listed in the agreement needs 15 days’ notice before you can add it.
Unless the rental agreement says otherwise, you must give at least 24 hours’ notice before entering a unit (Utah Code 57-22-4(2)). Because the lease can change that default, check what your leases say before a sale, when buyers, appraisers and lenders all want to walk the units.
The eviction process in Utah
A Utah eviction is an unlawful detainer case in district court, and only a court order can remove a tenant. Changing locks, shutting off utilities or removing a tenant’s belongings is prohibited (Utah Code 78B-6-814).
After the notice period runs, the landlord files a complaint and summons and has someone other than the landlord serve them. The tenant has 3 business days after service to answer. With no answer, the landlord can ask for a default and an order of restitution. If the tenant answers, either side can request an occupancy hearing, which under H.B. 480 must be held within 10 business days after the tenant files the answer. If the case isn’t resolved there, trial is set within 60 days.
An order of restitution must be served by a sheriff, constable or other authorized officer. The tenant generally has 3 calendar days after service to leave. H.B. 480 added exceptions: the parties can agree to other terms, the court can order otherwise, and the court may allow up to 72 hours before the sheriff or constable acts.
| Step | Time | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Notice to pay or vacate | 3 business days | Utah Code 78B-6-802(1)(c) |
| Tenant’s answer after service of summons | 3 business days | Utah Courts self-help |
| Occupancy hearing if the tenant answers and either side requests one | Within 10 business days after the answer | H.B. 480 (2025) |
| Trial if needed | Within 60 days | Utah Courts self-help |
| Tenant leaves after order of restitution is served | 3 calendar days, with exceptions | H.B. 480 (2025) |
After an eviction: belongings and damages
Once a tenant is removed, you must give reasonable access within five business days for the tenant to collect essentials: clothing, ID, financial and medical documents, and medications. Other property can be stored at reasonable cost, and property not claimed within 15 calendar days is treated as abandoned. If the tenant left a pet, contact animal control.
A landlord who wins can ask for a money judgment for unpaid rent, damage and other amounts owed under the lease. Utah’s statute allows some damages to be trebled, but you must prove each amount, and you are expected to try to re-rent the unit promptly.
Does Utah have rent control?
No. Utah Code 57-20-1 bars any county, city or town from enacting an ordinance or resolution that controls rents or fees on private residential property unless the Legislature expressly approves it. Salt Lake City, Provo and every other Utah city are covered.
Utah also has no statewide rent cap and no statewide notice period for rent increases. Bills to require one have not passed. We found no enrolled version of H.B. 182 (2025), and H.B. 478 (2026), which would have required 60 days’ notice of a rent increase on many leases, was returned to the House Rules Committee on March 4, 2026, two days before the session ended. For a fixed-term lease, rent changes at renewal under the lease terms; for a month-to-month tenancy, the 15-day notice rule above governs ending it.
What happens to leases and deposits when you sell
Leases stay in force when a Utah apartment building is sold, and the buyer takes the building subject to them. A tenant with a year left on a lease keeps it at the same rent.
Deposits follow ownership. Utah Code 57-17-4 makes whoever holds the owner’s interest when a tenancy ends bound by the deposit rules, so the buyer will be the one refunding deposits. The purchase contract should credit the buyer at closing for every deposit and any prepaid rent on the rent roll.
- Deliver a certified rent roll with each unit’s rent, lease end date, deposit and prepaid rent.
- Hand over signed leases, including the written nonrefundable deposit terms.
- Credit the buyer for refundable deposits and prepaid rent at closing.
- Tell tenants in writing who the new owner is and where to pay rent.
- Give 24 hours’ notice, or whatever the lease requires, for buyer and lender inspections.
- Disclose any pending eviction, since the buyer may need to finish it.
Utah landlord-tenant law changes in 2025 and 2026
The main recent change is House Bill 480 (2025), Landlord Communication Amendments, effective May 7, 2025. It lets owners return deposits and itemized deductions electronically, gives owners five business days to comply after a tenant’s deposit notice, requires a requested occupancy hearing within 10 business days after the tenant’s answer, adds exceptions to the 3-day move-out period, and sets rules for tenants’ essential belongings and pets after a removal.
In 2026 the Legislature amended the unlawful detainer statute again (Laws of Utah 2026, chapter 401, effective May 6, 2026). The notice periods in the table above did not change. Check pending forms and court rules with a Utah attorney, since the Judicial Council updates its forms after each session.
Selling a Utah apartment building with tenants in place
Skyline buys apartment buildings with five or more units in Utah with tenants in place, including buildings with below-market rents or a pending eviction. We buy directly, close on your timeline, and can work inside 1031 deadlines. We take over the leases and deposits as Utah law requires and send the tenant notices after closing.
For the tax side of a sale, see Utah capital gains tax on real estate and the 1031 exchange in Utah.
