Salt Lake City's Rental Property Rules: The Rules That Matter
Every city handles rental property rules a little differently. In Salt Lake City, Utah, there are 10 distinct rules that residents and property owners should be aware of. Some are stricter than what neighboring cities enforce, and others are more relaxed. Here is what you need to know.
Just Cause Eviction
Salt Lake City does not have a just-cause eviction ordinance; Utah state law governs terminations, which generally allow no-cause nonrenewal with proper notice.
Key details: Fact: No local just-cause ordinance in Salt Lake City. Fact: Utah allows 15-day no-cause termination for month-to-month. Fact: Good Landlord Program offers incentives for voluntary compliance. Fact: 3-day pay or quit notice is standard for nonpayment. Fact: Unlawful detainer cases filed in Third District Court.
Contact your local code enforcement office for specific penalty information.
Rent Control
Utah state law (UCA 10-8-85.5) prohibits municipal rent control; Salt Lake City cannot cap rent increases.
Key details: Fact: Rent control preempted by state law. Fact: No vacancy control. Fact: No just-cause eviction. Fact: 15-day notice for month-to-month rent changes.
Contact your local code enforcement office for specific penalty information.
If you are coming from a city with tighter rules, you will find Salt Lake City gives residents more flexibility on rent control.
Security Deposit Rules
Utah Code 57-17 governs residential security deposits in Salt Lake City, requiring landlords to return deposits within thirty days of move-out with an itemized statement of any deductions for cleaning, damage, or unpaid rent.
Key details: Return window: 30 days after move-out. Itemization: Required in writing. State cap: No dollar cap. Nonrefundable portion: Must be disclosed.
Failure to return a deposit on time or provide itemization can result in liability for the full deposit plus a civil penalty of up to one hundred dollars under Utah Code, plus possible Good Landlord Program consequences.
No-Fault Evictions
Utah law permits landlords in Salt Lake City to end a month-to-month tenancy without specifying a reason, requiring only a fifteen-day written notice and following Utah Code 78B-6 procedures rather than any local just-cause framework.
Key details: Notice required: 15 days written. Cause required: No (month-to-month). Local just-cause: Preempted by 57-20. Retaliation: Still prohibited.
Improperly served or retaliatory no-fault notices are unenforceable in Utah district court, and a landlord found to have evicted in retaliation may owe damages plus tenant attorney fees.
If you are coming from a city with tighter rules, you will find Salt Lake City gives residents more flexibility on no-fault evictions.
Tenant Anti-Harassment
Salt Lake City tenants rely on Utah URLTA and federal fair-housing law for protection against landlord harassment, with the city limited by Utah Code 57-20 from passing a standalone tenant anti-harassment ordinance like those in California cities.
Key details: Self-help eviction: Banned by URLTA. Discrimination: Federal + state law. Local ordinance: Limited by 57-20. Resource: Utah Legal Services.
Self-help eviction or discriminatory harassment exposes a landlord to actual and punitive damages, attorney fees, and Utah Antidiscrimination Division penalties, but no city-level civil penalty applies.
Source-of-Income Discrimination
Unlike many large cities, Salt Lake City does not prohibit landlords from refusing to accept Section 8 vouchers because Utah's Antidiscrimination Act does not list source of income, and Utah Code 57-20 limits local expansion of the protected classes.
Key details: State law: No SOI protection. Local ordinance: Limited by 57-20. Voucher acceptance: Voluntary. Federal classes: Still apply.
Refusing a tenant solely because of voucher status is generally lawful in SLC; refusal masking another protected-class discrimination remains actionable under federal and state fair-housing law.
If you are coming from a city with tighter rules, you will find Salt Lake City gives residents more flexibility on source-of-income discrimination.
Section 8 Voucher Acceptance
The Housing Authority of Salt Lake City and the Housing Authority of the County administer the federal Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program, helping low-income renters cover roughly thirty percent of income toward rent on participating units.
Key details: Tenant share: About 30% of income. Administrator: HASLC. Inspection: HQS required. Acceptance: Voluntary in Utah.
Voucher fraud, unreported income, or unauthorized occupants can lead to termination of voucher assistance and recoupment by HUD; landlords who skip inspections can lose contract approval.
Relocation Assistance
Salt Lake City does not require landlords to pay relocation assistance when ending a tenancy because Utah Code 57-20 partially preempts city rent regulation, leaving displacement support to voluntary programs and limited state demolition rules.
Key details: Mandatory payments: Generally none. Preemption: UT Code 57-20. Voluntary aid: Housing Stability grants. Mobile home parks: State rules apply.
No private penalty applies for a landlord that does not pay relocation; failure to follow state mobile-home-park closure rules or federal displacement requirements when applicable can trigger separate enforcement.
The rules around relocation assistance in Salt Lake City lean permissive, but that does not mean anything goes.
Pass-Through Charges
Salt Lake City does not regulate how landlords pass through utilities, taxes, or capital costs to tenants because Utah Code 57-20 leaves rent and fee structures to the lease itself, with disclosure required only for nonrefundable deposits.
Key details: Cap on pass-throughs: None at city level. Preemption: UT Code 57-20. Required disclosure: Nonrefundable deposit. Consumer protection: Applies to fees.
Undisclosed nonrefundable deposit charges can be ordered refunded; deceptive fee practices may trigger Utah Division of Consumer Protection enforcement and tenant claims under URLTA.
Salt Lake City is more permissive than most cities when it comes to pass-through charges. That said, there are still limits.
Rental Registration
Salt Lake City requires all rental housing operators to obtain a business license and participate in the Good Landlord Program or pay a disproportionate rental fee under Chapter 5.14.
Key details: Fact: Business license required for all residential rentals. Fact: Good Landlord training reduces annual fee. Fact: Properties subject to IPMC inspection. Fact: Annual license renewal required. Fact: Enforced by Business Licensing and Civil Enforcement.
Contact your local code enforcement office for specific penalty information.
This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Salt Lake City actively enforces its rental registration requirements.
The Bottom Line
Compared to many U.S. cities, Salt Lake City gives residents more room on rental property rules. 5 of the 10 rules here are rated permissive. But permissive does not mean unregulated. There are still requirements, and the city does enforce them when violations are reported.
This guide is based on Salt Lake City's current municipal code. Local rules can and do change, so check the individual ordinance pages for the latest details, penalties, and FAQs.