Salt Lake City, UT Rental Inspections: Tenant Complaint Process (2026)
Key Facts
- Trigger
- Any tenant complaint or cause
- Routine cycle
- Every 4 years (3+ unit buildings)
- Single-family/duplex
- Inspected only by complaint
- Refusal penalty
- License revocation under § 5.14.130
- Enforcing agency
- Building Services & Civil Enforcement Division
Summary
Salt Lake City inspects licensed rental dwellings any time a tenant complaint gives the Building Services and Civil Enforcement Division cause, even outside the normal four-year inspection cycle.
Cause Or Complaint: The City may inspect rental dwellings at any time if such inspection is triggered by cause or complaint.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-21: Code current through: Ord. 40-26, passed June 16, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Under City Code section 5.14.085(C), Salt Lake City may inspect a licensed rental dwelling at any time a tenant complaint or other cause gives the city reason to check compliance, regardless of the routine four-year cycle that applies to buildings with three or more units. Single-family rentals and duplexes are normally exempt from scheduled inspections but stay subject to complaint-triggered ones. Landlords who refuse to permit a complaint-based inspection risk having the Business License Office revoke their rental dwelling license under section 5.14.130.
Violations & Fines
Refusing a complaint-triggered inspection lets the city revoke the rental dwelling business license, bar the property from the Landlord/Tenant Initiative, and pursue other legal remedies under section 5.14.130.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a tenant force a Salt Lake City rental inspection?
What happens if the landlord refuses the inspection?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Salt Lake City
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Tenant Complaint Process in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Salt Lake County handle tenant complaint process.