Utah Rent Increase Laws: 15-Day Notice and Regulations

Since statehood in 1896, Utah has evolved into one of the most landlord-friendly states for rent increases. The state explicitly prohibits local rent control, allowing landlords to adjust pricing to match market rates. Landlords must provide proper written notice before those increases take effect.

No Statewide Rent Control

Utah prohibits any local rent control ordinances. Municipalities and counties are legally forbidden from capping the amount a landlord can charge for rent.

Because of this, there is no limit to how much a landlord can increase a tenant's rent, provided they give the proper written notice.

While landlords have broad discretion to raise rent, increases cannot be:

1. Retaliatory (e.g., raising rent simply because a tenant requested a repair).
2. Discriminatory (e.g., raising rent based on race, religion, familial status, or other protected classes under the Fair Housing Act).

15-Day Notice Requirement

Under Utah Code § 78B-6-802, Utah law generally requires landlords to provide at least 15 days' written notice before increasing rent for month-to-month tenants, unless the lease agreement explicitly stipulates a different notice period.

While some legislation (such as HB 355 in 2024) proposed extending this to 60 days, it did not pass into law. Therefore, the standard 15-day notice period remains the default for periodic tenancies, though landlords and tenants may agree to longer notice periods in the written lease.

Fixed-Term Leases

If a tenant is on a fixed-term lease (e.g., a one-year lease), the landlord cannot increase the rent before the lease term expires, unless the written lease agreement contains a specific rent escalation clause that permits mid-lease increases.

If a landlord wishes to increase the rent upon the renewal of a fixed-term lease, they must provide the tenant with the new rent amount within the notice period specified in the lease agreement before the current lease ends, giving the tenant adequate time to decide whether to renew or find a new home.

Delivering the Notice

The provided Utah Code sections, specifically § 57-20-1 concerning local rent control prohibition and § 78B-6-802 regarding unlawful detainer by a tenant, do not specify the acceptable methods for delivering a rent increase notice to a residential tenant. While § 78B-6-802 mentions 'served notice' in the context of requiring a tenant to quit the premises, it does not detail the permissible methods of service for a rent increase notice itself.

Back to Utah Landlord-Tenant Laws OverviewPreview unavailable.