Salt Lake County, UT Fire Regulations: Smoke Detectors (2026)
Key Facts
- Duty section
- §15.32.050(F)
- Repair deadline
- 24 hours after notice
- Repair-deadline table
- §15.32.100(J)
- Tenant repair-deduct cap
- $400
- Notice recipient
- Owner's local contact, §15.32.030
- Retaliation protection
- §15.32.120
Summary
Salt Lake County Code §15.32.050(F) requires every rental property owner in the unincorporated county to "provide smoke detectors and fire extinguishers as required by code." If a required smoke detector goes missing or stops working, §15.32.100(J) gives the landlord only twenty-four hours after written notice to start fixing it, the fastest repair deadline in the whole repair-timeline table.
15.32.050 - Property owner to maintain the premises and each dwelling unit. A property owner shall:...F.Provide smoke detectors and fire extinguishers as required by code;... 15.32.100 - Repair of specified failures. In the event of the failures specified below the property owner shall begin repairing the failures within the following specified time periods after receipt of written notice of the failure delivered to the person identified in Section 15.32.030, and complete the repairs with reasonable diligence:...J. Inoperable or missing smoke detector if required by code 24 hours...The tenant shall grant the property owner reasonable access to perform the repairs required above.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 49).
Full Breakdown
050, alongside things like structural integrity, exits and emergency egress, heating, and working locks. Subsection F specifically requires the owner to "provide smoke detectors and fire extinguishers as required by code," tying the obligation to whatever the adopted building and fire codes require for that unit. " That is the shortest window in the table, tied with an inoperable toilet, nonfunctioning heat and broken stairs, and faster than the ninety-six-hour deadline given to a broken exterior window or exterior lighting. 110 lets the tenant arrange the repair directly: because a missing smoke detector isn't listed among the "critical repairs" that let a tenant act immediately, the tenant must send a second written notice and wait roughly 48 hours before hiring the work done and deducting up to $400 from rent. 120.
Violations & Fines
A property owner who fails to begin repairing or replacing a missing or inoperable required smoke detector within twenty-four hours of written notice is in breach of §15.32.100(J). The tenant's remedy is the repair-and-deduct process in §15.32.110, capped at $400, rather than a criminal citation. A landlord who retaliates against a tenant for reporting the problem, including by terminating the tenancy, faces liability under §15.32.120 for the greater of one month's rent or actual damages, plus attorney's fees.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is my landlord required to install smoke detectors in unincorporated Salt Lake County?
How fast does my landlord have to fix a smoke detector after I report it?
What can I do if my landlord ignores a broken smoke detector?
Can my landlord evict me for reporting a missing smoke detector?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Salt Lake County
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