Short-Term Rentals in Lehi, UT

If you live in Lehi or are thinking about moving there, short-term rentals are one of those things you probably won't think about until they affect you directly. Lehi has 7 specific rules on the books covering different aspects of short-term rentals, and some of them might surprise you.

Short-Term Rental Permits

Every short-term rental in Lehi needs a current business license under Development Code Section 12.240.E, displayed inside the rental so guests can see it, on top of proving the home is the applicant's primary residence and sits outside a 600-foot school buffer.

Key details: License required: current business license, Sec. 12.240.E. Displayed: inside rental area, visible to guests. School buffer: 600 feet of elementary/middle/junior high. Residency proof: tax returns + government ID. Occupancy cap: 10 renters, or less by parking.

Renting short-term without the current business license required by Section 12.240.E, or operating from a home that fails the residency or school-distance tests, is a Chapter 12 violation. Section 34.010.D makes noncompliance a class C misdemeanor, with each ten-day period of continued violation a separate offense, and Section 34.040 lets the City revoke a permit or license issued on materially inaccurate information after a public hearing on 14 days' notice.

Noise Rules

Lehi puts the burden on the host, not the City, to set STR noise limits: Development Code Section 12.240.H requires the owner to establish and enforce curfew and quiet hours reasonable for the surrounding neighborhood, with extra conditions available if noise nuisances continue.

Key details: Who sets hours: the owner, per Sec. 12.240.H. Standard: reasonable, fit for the neighborhood. Extra conditions: City may add noise-mitigation terms. Renewal link: noise complaints must be resolved, Sec. 12.240.F. Penalty: class C misdemeanor per Sec. 34.010.D.

Failing to establish or enforce reasonable curfew and quiet hours, or ignoring an added noise-mitigation condition, is a Section 12.240 violation enforceable under Section 34.010.D as a class C misdemeanor, with each ten-day period of continued noncompliance a separate offense. Repeated noise complaints also count against annual license renewal under Section 12.240.F and can support license revocation under Section 34.040.

Host Presence Rule

Lehi lets short-term rentals operate in every residential zone, but Development Code Section 12.240.C requires the owner, an employee, or a designated point of contact to be able to respond to any call about the property within one hour while it is being rented to guests.

Key details: Response window: 1 hour, any call. Who may respond: owner, employee, or designee. Applies in: all residential zones. Tied to renewal: unresolved complaints block renewal. Penalty: class C misdemeanor per Sec. 34.010.D.

Operating an STR without a working one-hour response contact is a violation of Chapter 12 enforceable under Section 34.010.D as a class C misdemeanor, with each ten-day period of continued noncompliance charged as a separate offense. The City Attorney or designee acts on referrals from the Zoning Administrator and city staff, and repeated failures feed directly into the license revocation process under Section 34.040.

Short-Term Rental Parking Rules

Lehi requires all short-term rental parking to be off-street and to meet Table 37.070's parking counts under Development Code Section 12.240.G, though a host can use the home's own garage or driveway if enough parking still remains for the owner and permanent residents.

Key details: Parking location: off-street, per Table 37.070. Garage/driveway use: allowed if household parking remains. Renter cap: 10, or fewer if parking limits. Governing table: Table 37.070 of the Development Code. Enforcement: class C misdemeanor, Sec. 34.010.D.

Providing STR parking that does not meet Table 37.070, or renting to more guests than the available off-street parking supports under Section 12.240.D, violates Section 12.240 and is enforceable under Section 34.010.D as a class C misdemeanor, with every ten-day period of continued noncompliance a separate offense. Parking complaints also count toward the "valid complaints" an applicant must resolve under Section 12.240.F before its annual business license renews.

Repeat Violator Strikes

Lehi ties every short-term rental's annual business license renewal to its complaint history: Development Code Section 12.240.F requires the applicant to show any valid complaint about the property has been resolved before the City will renew the license for another year.

Key details: Renewal cycle: annual. Renewal condition: resolve valid complaints first. Revocation notice: 14 days before hearing. Revocation effective: 5 days after decision. Penalty: class C misdemeanor per Sec. 34.010.D.

Renewing a license without resolving a documented valid complaint, or continuing to operate after a Section 34.040 revocation takes effect, is enforceable under Section 34.010.D as a class C misdemeanor, with each ten-day period of continued violation charged as a separate offense. The City Attorney or designee prosecutes on referral from the Zoning Administrator, and Section 34.020 also allows civil action to restrain or abate ongoing violations.

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

Primary-Residence-Only Rule

Lehi allows short-term rentals in every residential zone, but only out of the operator's own home. Development Code Section 12.240.B requires the property to be the applicant's primary residence, proven with the applicant's most recent state and federal tax returns and a government-issued ID showing that address, filed at application and again every year at license renewal.

Key details: Residency proof: Tax returns + government ID. Re-verification: Annually, at license renewal. License display: Posted inside rental for guests. School buffer: 600 ft from elementary/middle/jr high. Governing section: Development Code 12.240.B.

Renting out a property as a short-term rental without proving primary residency, or continuing to operate after moving out and letting the annual re-verification lapse, is grounds for the city to deny or refuse to renew the business license under Section 12.240.F, which also requires the applicant to resolve any valid complaints before renewal. Operating without a current license is a Development Code violation enforced as a class C misdemeanor under Section 34.010.D.

Occupancy Limits

Lehi caps every short-term rental at 10 renters at a time, or fewer if off-street parking cannot support that many guests. Development Code Section 12.240.D sets the hard ceiling, and Section 12.240.G ties actual occupancy to the parking a specific home can provide under Table 37.070.

Key details: Hard occupancy cap: 10 renters at a time. Effective cap: Lower if parking is limited. Parking standard: Table 37.070, off-street only. Response requirement: 1 hour, while occupied. Governing section: Development Code 12.240.D.

Hosting more than 10 short-term renters at once, or more guests than the property's off-street parking can support, is a Development Code violation. Complaints about overcrowding or parking spillover can also block the annual business license renewal required under Section 12.240.F until the operator resolves them, and ordinary noncompliance carries the class C misdemeanor penalty set out in Section 34.010.D.

The Bottom Line

Lehi's short-term rentals 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 Lehi is broadly strict or permissive.

All of the above reflects Lehi's municipal code as of our last review. If you need specifics on fines, exemptions, or filing requirements, the detailed ordinance pages linked above have the full breakdown.