How Salt Lake City Handles Accessory Structures: A Practical Guide

Salt Lake City maintains 165 local ordinances across all categories, and 5 of those deal specifically with accessory structures. Here is a breakdown of what the city actually requires, what is prohibited, and where Salt Lake City falls on the strict-to-permissive spectrum compared to other cities.

Tiny Homes

Salt Lake City's zoning code defines a "Tiny House" as its own building type, capped at 400 square feet on a permanent foundation, but only inside the RMF-30 Low Density Multi-Family Residential District.

Key details: Max floor area: 400 sq ft (excludes loft). Foundation: Permanent foundation required. Allowed district: RMF-30 only. Rooftop decks: Prohibited. Parking: 1 space per unit.

Constructing or occupying a tiny house without zoning compliance and required building permits violates § 21A.40.030; the city can require correction, deny occupancy, or pursue standard zoning enforcement remedies.

Garage Conversions

Salt Lake City lets pre-1995 garage-to-living-space conversions on single-family and two-family lots become legal only after a building permit, a life-safety inspection, and replacement of any lost driveway parking spaces.

Key details: Eligibility cutoff: Conversion completed before April 12, 1995. Required steps: Building permit plus city life-safety inspection. Parking rule: Replace driveway spaces if removed. Front yard parking: Passenger vehicles only on driveway.

Skipping the building permit and life-safety inspection, or removing the driveway without replacing the required parking spaces, means the garage conversion doesn't qualify for legalization and remains a code violation.

ADU Owner Occupancy

Salt Lake City requires the property owner to live on-site wherever an accessory dwelling unit is built, with narrow carve-outs for duplexes, multi-family, and temporary absences.

Key details: Owner must reside on property: Yes, per § 21A.40.200.C. Duplex/multi-family exception: No owner-occupancy needed. Temporary absence allowed: Up to 3 years. Enforcement mechanism: Recorded restrictive covenant. ADUs per lot: One, where permitted.

Zoning Enforcement (Planning Division) can act on the recorded restrictive covenant, which is enforceable by the city or any adversely affected party under Utah Code § 10-9a-802; the prevailing party in court recovers attorney fees.

This is one of the stricter rules in Salt Lake City's municipal code. If you are unsure whether your situation complies, it is worth checking with the city before proceeding.

Shed & Carport Rules

Salt Lake City requires a building permit for accessory structures like sheds and limits them to one foot from side and rear lot lines, with footprint capped at fifty percent of the house's footprint, though at least four hundred eighty square feet is always allowed.

Key details: Building permit: Required, per section 21A.04.030. Lot line setback: 1 foot from side and rear lines. Distance from house: At least 4 feet. Max footprint: 50% of house footprint. Height limit: 12 ft flat, 17 ft pitched roof.

Building without a permit, or a shed that violates the setback and coverage rules, can draw a stop-work order and a Code Enforcement notice of violation from Building Services and Licensing, followed by fines and mandatory correction or removal.

ADU Rules

Salt Lake City allows one accessory dwelling unit per lot, but the property owner must live on site, and a detached ADU is capped at 1,000 square feet and 17 feet tall.

Key details: ADUs per lot: One. Detached ADU max size: 1,000 sq ft. Detached ADU base height: 17 feet. Owner occupancy: Required on-site. Permits needed: Building permit + zoning certificate.

Occupying or renting an ADU without the required zoning certificate and building permit is a code violation; under the general penalty section 1.12.050, an unpermitted or non-conforming ADU can draw a class B misdemeanor citation, fines up to $1,000, and a stop-work or removal order.

The Bottom Line

Salt Lake City's accessory structures rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming Salt Lake City is broadly strict or permissive.

These rules come from Salt Lake City's publicly available municipal code. For complete penalty schedules, exemption details, and answers to common questions, see the individual ordinance pages throughout this guide.