6 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 5 cities in Salt Lake County, Utah.
Verified from official government sources
Salt Lake County requires STR operators in unincorporated areas to obtain a business license under Chapter 5.19. A safety inspection by the Building and Fire Departments is required before licensure (call 385-468-6700 to schedule). Inspections required every 3 years. ADUs cannot be used as STRs.
Short-term rentals in unincorporated Salt Lake County must comply with the county Noise Control ordinance (Chapter 9.48 of Title 9 - Health and Sanitation), which prohibits unreasonably loud or disturbing noise. Chapter 5.19 ties the STR business license to compliance with all applicable county codes, so a guest-generated noise problem can support license action against the operator.
Short-term rental operators must collect Utah state sales tax, the statewide transient room tax, and any applicable local transient room tax. Operators register with the Utah State Tax Commission under Utah Code 59-12-301 and file returns on the assigned schedule. Most hosting platforms collect and remit these taxes on behalf of the operator but the operator remains legally responsible.
Unincorporated Salt Lake County regulates short-term rentals under Chapter 5.19 (Title 5 - Business Licenses) and Title 19 (Zoning), which defines a short-term rental at Sec. 19.04.547. Off-street parking for STRs follows the underlying residential parking standards in Title 19 - Chapter 5.19 does not impose a separate STR-specific off-street parking minimum, but the dwelling must already comply with the parking ratio for its zoning district as part of land-use approval.
Occupancy of short-term rentals in unincorporated Salt Lake County is limited by International Residential Code bedroom standards and by nuisance rules against over-assembly. A common operational guideline is two occupants per bedroom plus two additional, and events or parties that exceed the normal residential use of the property are not allowed.
Salt Lake County's STR ordinance (Chapter 5.19) does not impose a published minimum liability-insurance amount on hosts in unincorporated areas. Utah state law (including Utah Code Sec. 17-50-338 as amended by HB 291, 2023) does not set a statewide STR insurance minimum either. Standard homeowner policies usually exclude commercial short-term rental activity, so most operators rely on Airbnb's Host Liability Insurance, Vrbo's Liability Insurance, or a stand-alone commercial STR policy.
5 cities in Salt Lake County have their own short-term rentals rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
13 verified rules • Extended Home Share, Host Platform Liability
8 verified rules • Insurance Requirements, Night Caps
8 verified rules • Insurance Requirements, Night Caps
8 verified rules • Insurance Requirements, Night Caps
7 verified rules • Insurance Requirements, Noise Rules
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