Salt Lake County, UT Rental Property Rules: Rent Control (2026)
Rent control rules in Salt Lake County, UT, also known as rent stabilization or rent cap ordinances, limit annual rent increases and protect tenants from displacement.
Key Facts
- State Statute
- Utah Code §57-20-1. Rent and fee control prohibition
- Effect
- All Salt Lake County cities preempted from rent control
- Rent Increase Notice
- 15 days for month-to-month (Utah Code §57-17-7)
- Salt Lake City Practice
- 60-day notice recommended via Landlord/Tenant Initiative
- Statewide Rent Cap
- None
- Court of Jurisdiction
- Utah Third District Court (Salt Lake County)
Summary
Salt Lake County and every city within it (Salt Lake City, West Valley City, West Jordan, Sandy, Murray, Taylorsville, South Jordan, Draper, Riverton, Cottonwood Heights, Holladay, Millcreek, Herriman, Bluffdale, Midvale, South Salt Lake) are barred from enacting rent control. Utah Code Title 57, Chapter 20 (Local Rent Control Prohibition) expressly preempts any county, city, or town ordinance that would cap rents or fees on private residential property. Landlords may raise rent freely on month-to-month tenancies with 15 days' written notice under Utah Code §57-17-7. Fixed-term leases can only be changed when they renew. There is no statewide rent cap and no local one.
A county, city, or town may not enact, maintain, or enforce an ordinance or resolution that would have the effect of controlling the amount of rent charged for leasing private residential property. Nothing in this chapter shall: (a) impair the right of any county, city, or town to manage and control residential property in which the county, city, or town has a property interest; or (b) be construed to prohibit any county, city, or town from entering into an agreement with a private property owner with regard to the amount of rent that may be charged.
Full Breakdown
' This blanket preemption means no Salt Lake County municipality can pass a rent stabilization, rent freeze, vacancy decontrol, or rent registry ordinance, even by initiative. Limited statutory exceptions exist only for housing where the local government has a financial interest (such as housing-authority units or LIHTC properties subject to a regulatory agreement). For market-rate apartments and houses in Salt Lake City, Sandy, West Valley City, Murray, and every other SLCo jurisdiction, landlords may set the initial rent and raise it as the market allows.
Required notice for a rent increase on a month-to-month tenancy is 15 calendar days under Utah Code §57-17-7 (some local ordinances and lease provisions extend this, the Salt Lake City Landlord/Tenant Initiative recommends 60 days as best practice but does not require it).
Violations & Fines
Because rent control is preempted, there is no 'rent overcharge' violation in Salt Lake County. A tenant who believes a rent increase is retaliatory (raised after a habitability complaint) can sue under Utah Code §57-22-5.1; the remedy is damages and attorney fees, not a rent rollback. Landlords still cannot collect rent on an uninhabitable unit, but the amount of rent itself is unregulated. If a Salt Lake County city ever attempted to enact rent control, a landlord could sue in Third District Court for a declaratory judgment voiding the ordinance under §57-20-1.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Salt Lake City pass rent control?
How much notice does my landlord need to give to raise the rent?
Are there any rent-regulated units in Salt Lake County?
What if my landlord doubles the rent?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Salt Lake County
Compare Salt Lake County to another location·View the Utah rental property rules overview
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