What a Landlord Cannot Do in Utah
The main limits Utah law puts on landlords — lockouts and utility shutoffs, entering without notice, retaliation, deposits, fees and discrimination — each with the statute or official source.
In short: a Utah landlord cannot evict without a court order, cannot punish a tenant for asserting legal rights where state law protects them, and must follow the state's rules on entry, deposits and fees shown below.
| Lockouts & utility shutoffs | Unlawful for an owner to willfully exclude a tenant from the premises in any manner except by judicial process (abandoned premises excepted). Utah Courts guidance: without a court order a landlord cannot change the locks, turn off utilities, or take the tenant's belongings. No specific utility-shutoff statute or fixed damages amount was located; utility statement is from Utah Courts self-help (https://www.utcourts.gov/en/self-help/case-categories/housing/landlord/eviction-tenant.html). Source: Utah Code 78B-6-814 |
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| Landlord entry notice | At least 24 hours' prior notice of entry, except as otherwise provided in the rental agreement. The lease can change this rule. A renter may not use a violation of 57-22-4(2) as a basis to excuse lease compliance or to sue the owner (57-22-4(9)). Source: Utah Code 57-22-4(2) |
| Landlord retaliation | No statute — Utah has no general law barring landlord retaliation (for example, for complaining about repairs). One limited rule: an owner may not restrict a renter's ability to ask a public safety agency (such as police or fire) for help, and may not penalize or evict a renter for making reasonable requests for that help. Federal fair housing law separately bars retaliation for asserting fair housing rights. Section 57-22-5.1 is amended effective Jan. 1, 2027; the public-safety-assistance rule is kept in the new version. |
| Security deposit limit | No statutory cap. Chapter 57-17 sets no maximum. Any non-refundable portion must be stated in writing when the deposit is taken (57-17-2). Source: Utah Code 57-17-1 to 57-17-5 |
| Penalty for withholding | If the owner fails to comply within five business days after the renter's statutory notice, the renter may recover the full deposit, the full prepaid rent, and a $100 civil penalty; court awards costs and attorney fees to the prevailing party if the other side acted in bad faith. Renter is not entitled to this relief without first serving the notice under 57-17-3(3). Current version effective 7/1/2024 (amended 2023 ch. 401). Source: Utah Code 57-17-5 |
| Late fees | Late fee may not exceed the greater of 10% of the rent agreed in the rental agreement or $75. No statutory grace period. Other fees not in the lease are barred unless the tenancy is month-to-month and 15 days' notice is given (57-22-4(5)(b)). A renter may not sue based on a violation of 57-22-4(5) (57-22-4(9)). Source: Utah Code 57-22-4(5)(a) |
| Rent control / increase limits | Local rent control prohibited: a county, city, or town may not enact an ordinance or resolution controlling rents or fees on private residential property without express approval of the Legislature. No statewide cap. Fit Premises Act also limits counties/municipalities (57-22-7; not separately reviewed). Source: Utah Code 57-20-1 |
| Statewide ban on refusing Section 8 / source of income | Yes. The Utah Fair Housing Act prohibits refusing to rent, discriminating in terms, and discriminatory advertising or application forms because of source of income, defined as the verifiable condition of receiving federal, state, or local assistance or being a tenant receiving government subsidies, including rental assistance or rent supplements. The state act preempts local housing-discrimination ordinances. |
| Cameras & privacy | No landlord-specific camera statute. Since May 7, 2025, it is a crime (class A misdemeanor; third-degree felony in aggravated cases) to intentionally use any technology to secretly record an individual, without knowledge or consent, for the purpose of viewing a part of the body for which the person has a reasonable expectation of privacy, under circumstances where the person reasonably expects privacy. Utah is a one-party consent state for audio interception. Unless the rental agreement says otherwise, the owner must give at least 24 hours' notice before entering the unit. The voyeurism statute was renumbered from former 76-9-702.7 in the 2025 criminal code recodification (now 76-12-306 to -308). Interception statute: https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title77/Chapter23A/C77-23a-S4_1800010118000101.xml. |
Can I sue my landlord in Utah? · All Utah tenant rights
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.