Utah’s landlord-tenant rules live in the Utah Code (Titles 57 and 78B). Two facts matter most. First, and against a common misconception, Utah protects source of income statewide: the Fair Housing Act lists “source of income” as a protected class and defines it to include a tenant receiving “rental assistance or rent supplements” (Utah Code 57-21-5, 57-21-2), so refusing you because you hold a voucher can be a fair-housing violation. Second, evictions are fast and expensive to lose — a 3-business-day notice, and courts must award triple damages against a holdover tenant. This page covers where to apply, the tenant-law framework, and where to get help.
- 211 Utah — dial 2-1-1 for rent, utility, and shelter help · 211utah.org
- Housing Authority of Salt Lake City: 801-487-2161 · Housing Connect (Salt Lake County): 801-284-4400
- Utah Legal Services: 1-800-662-4245 · utahlegalservices.org
- Utah Antidiscrimination & Labor Division (fair housing / source of income): 801-530-6800
- HEAT program (LIHEAP): 1-866-205-4357
- HUD fair housing: 1-800-669-9777
Major Utah public housing authorities
Utah’s finance agency, Utah Housing Corporation, does mortgages, tax credits, and bonds — it does not run vouchers. Housing Choice Vouchers come from more than 20 regional and local authorities. The largest are along the Wasatch Front:
- Housing Authority of Salt Lake City (HASLC) — PHA UT004, 801-487-2161
- Housing Connect (formerly the Housing Authority of the County of Salt Lake) — PHA UT003, 801-284-4400
- Housing Authority of Utah County — Provo, PHA UT011, 801-373-8333
- Housing Authority of the City of Ogden — PHA UT002; its Section 8 list has been closed, so verify before applying
Waitlists open in windows, so apply to several. Use HUD’s PHA directory and read how to find your PHA. For tax-credit apartments, search HUD’s LIHTC database.
Source of income: your voucher is protected statewide
This surprises many renters: Utah’s Fair Housing Act lists “source of income” as a protected class (Utah Code 57-21-5) and defines it to include a tenant receiving federal, state, or local subsidies, “including rental assistance or rent supplements” (57-21-2). In practice, turning you away because you hold a Housing Choice Voucher can be a discriminatory housing practice. Because state law already covers this, cities cannot pass their own ordinances (57-21-2.5). If a landlord refuses your voucher, contact the Utah Antidiscrimination & Labor Division (UALD) (801-530-6800) or legal aid. See our source-of-income protections guide.
Emergency rent & utility help in Utah
- HEAT program (LIHEAP) — run by the Department of Workforce Services; public line 1-866-205-4357; see utility assistance programs
- Community Action agencies — Utah Community Action, Community Action Services & Food Bank, and others deliver HEAT, weatherization, and emergency aid
- Dial 211 for the current list of rent and deposit funds, plus emergency rental assistance
Utah tenant law: key protections at a glance
Quick reference: Utah
- Voucher administrator: 20+ regional and local authorities (Salt Lake City, Housing Connect, Utah County); Utah Housing Corporation runs no vouchers
- Source-of-income protection: yes — statewide (Utah Code 57-21-5, 57-21-2)
- Rent control: prohibited (Utah Code 57-20-1)
- Nonpayment notice: 3 business days to pay or quit (Utah Code 78B-6-802)
- Lease-violation notice: 3 calendar days; no-cause / month-to-month: 15 days
- Security deposit: no cap; itemized refund within 30 days or a $100 penalty after a demand notice (Utah Code 57-17-3)
- Holdover damages: courts must award triple damages against a tenant who loses (Utah Code 78B-6-811)
- Self-help eviction: illegal (Utah Code 78B-6-814)
Security deposits
Utah sets no cap on the deposit. After you move out, the landlord must return the balance with a written itemization within 30 days (Utah Code 57-17-3); if they miss it, you can send a demand notice, and failing to respond within five business days makes them owe the full deposit plus a $100 penalty. Read how to recover your security deposit.
Eviction: fast, and costly to lose
Utah evictions move quickly. For nonpayment the notice is just 3 business days to pay or quit (Utah Code 78B-6-802); after filing, a tenant has 3 business days to answer, an occupancy hearing is set within about 10 days, and a losing tenant gets 3 days to vacate under a sheriff-enforced order. Crucially, if you fight an eviction and lose, the court must award three times the damages plus attorney fees (Utah Code 78B-6-811) — so it is usually far cheaper to pay or move before judgment. Self-help lockouts are illegal (Utah Code 78B-6-814). Get help from Utah Legal Services (1-800-662-4245) and read how to avoid eviction.
Nearby states
Comparing states or planning a move? Utah’s neighbors handle deposits, notice, and vouchers differently:
- New Mexico tenant rights — city voucher protections and a 3-day notice
- Nevada tenant rights — a tenant-driven summary eviction process
- Arizona tenant rights
- Colorado tenant rights — statewide voucher protection
- Idaho tenant rights & Section 8 — a statewide voucher agency
Where to get help in Utah
Tenant help & legal aid: Utah Legal Services (1-800-662-4245) handles evictions, subsidized housing, and habitability; in Salt Lake it works with the “and Justice for all” agencies.
Discrimination & source-of-income complaints: the Utah Antidiscrimination & Labor Division (801-530-6800) enforces the Fair Housing Act, including voucher protection; file within 180 days.
Vouchers & local PHAs: apply to Salt Lake City, Housing Connect, or your county authority through the HUD PHA directory.
211 helpline: dial 2-1-1 for rent, utility, and shelter help statewide.
Next Steps
Not sure where to start? Our Where to Start tool maps Utah programs to your situation in about two minutes.
If a landlord refused your voucher, source of income is a protected class in Utah — contact the Utah Antidiscrimination & Labor Division (801-530-6800) or Utah Legal Services, and read eviction prevention.