Utah Bans Local Rent Control (Utah Code § 57-20-1)

Utah Code § 57-20-1, titled "Rent and fee control prohibition," states that "a county, city, or town may not enact an ordinance or resolution that would control rents or fees on private residential property unless it has the express approval of the Legislature." The chapter heading itself is "Local Rent Control Prohibition." The statute preserves local zoning, building, and planning authority, so a city can still regulate land use, but it cannot cap or freeze rents on private housing. No Utah statute imposes a statewide percentage limit on rent increases for private residential property, and no Utah city or county runs a rent-control program. Rent increases are governed by the lease terms and any contractually required notice rather than by a government rent ceiling.

A local ordinance or resolution controlling rents or fees on private residential property would be void as preempted by Utah Code § 57-20-1 unless the Legislature expressly approved it. There is no penalty on landlords for raising rent, because no rent cap exists; limits come only from the lease and required notice.