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Housing & Tenant · Rent Late Fees

Rent Late Fee Limit in Utah

The most a landlord can charge you for paying rent late in Utah, the grace period you may be owed, and what to do about an unfair fee, cited to the statute.

Confirmedagainst §57-22-4(5)Reviewed by Cholilurrohman · July 2026
Most a late fee can be · Utah
Greater of 10% or $75, but you cannot sue over it
Hard cap
Utah caps a late fee at the greater of 10 percent of the rent or 75 dollars under Utah Code 57-22-4(5), the most expensive of the greater-of states, and subsection (9) bars a renter from suing over a violation.
Maximum late feeGreater of 10% or $75, but you cannot sue over it
Grace periodNone set by statute
Must be in the leaseYes
Statute§57-22-4(5)

The cap and the grace period in Utah

The most a late fee can be, when it can be charged, and whether it has to be in your lease.

Maximum late feeThe fee cannot exceed the greater of 10 percent of the rent agreed in the rental agreement, or 75 dollars. Read the direction: it is the greater of the two, and the 75 dollar floor is the highest flat floor of any state. On a 600 dollar rent, 10 percent is 60 dollars, so the 75 dollar floor applies. The same subsection bars charging any fee, fine, assessment, interest, or other cost greater than agreed, or one not in the agreement, which is a general anti-surprise-fee rule.
Grace periodNo statutory grace period in the subsection read. A late fee applies once rent is late, subject to the cap.
Must be written in the leaseYes. A late fee that is not in your signed lease generally cannot be charged.
Local ordinanceThe state figures are the operative cap. A related Utah notice provision changes in 2026, so anything about Utah notice periods written before mid-2026 may be stale.
How it is enforcedThis is the severe part, and it must be understood. Utah Code 57-22-4(9) expressly bars a renter from bringing any cause of action over a violation of the cap in subsection (5). So Utah writes a cap and then removes the renter ability to sue over it, the mirror image of Colorado. A renter can still raise the cap defensively, for example against a landlord who sues to collect, but cannot bring their own claim over an overcharge.
StatuteUtah Code Ann. §57-22-4(5)
Recent or pending change

The cap came in by 2021 legislation, and a related Utah notice provision (78B-6-802) is amended effective in 2026, so confirm current figures before relying on them.

What you can do right now

Concrete, neutral steps if a Utah late fee looks too high or came with no grace period. This is legal information, not legal advice.

  1. Apply the greater-of formula

    The cap is the greater of 10 percent of the rent or 75 dollars. Work out 10 percent of your rent, and if it is under 75 dollars, the 75 dollar floor applies, which bites on lower rents.

  2. Know you cannot sue over an overcharge

    Utah Code 57-22-4(9) bars a renter from bringing a cause of action over a violation of the cap. So you cannot sue for an overcharge, though you can still raise the cap as a defense if the landlord sues to collect.

  3. Use the anti-surprise-fee rule

    The same subsection bars any fee, fine, assessment, or interest greater than agreed, or not in the agreement. So a fee that was never in your lease, or exceeds the agreed figure, is over the line.

  4. Get local help

    A local Utah legal aid office can explain how to raise the cap defensively. Search for legal aid in your area.

This is general legal information, not legal advice. Read your own lease and check for a local ordinance, since either can change the fee that applies to your home.

What Utah renters get wrong

Utah is the third greater-of state and by some distance the most expensive of the three. Colorado's floor is fifty dollars and North Carolina's is fifteen. Utah's is seventy-five. On a six hundred dollar rent, ten percent is sixty dollars, so under Utah Code 57-22-4(5) the seventy-five dollar floor applies and a Utah renter pays more than an eighth of a month's rent for being late. What Utah gives back is broader than the late fee itself, because the same subsection bars any fee, fine, assessment, or interest that was not agreed in the rental agreement. But there is a severe catch, and it is the mirror image of Colorado. Utah Code 57-22-4(9) expressly bars a renter from bringing any cause of action over a violation of the cap. So Utah writes a cap and then removes the renter's ability to sue over it. A renter can still raise the cap as a defense if a landlord sues to collect, but cannot bring their own claim over an overcharge, which makes the cap weaker in practice than the number suggests.

Common questions

Why is my Utah late fee 75 dollars?

Because Utah uses the greater of 10 percent of the rent or 75 dollars. On a lower rent, 10 percent falls below 75 dollars, so the 75 dollar floor applies, which is the highest flat late-fee floor of any state.

Can my landlord add fees not in the lease in Utah?

No. Utah Code 57-22-4(5) bars charging any fee, fine, assessment, interest, or other cost greater than agreed in the rental agreement, or one not in it at all. So a surprise fee that was never in your lease is over the line.

Is there a grace period in Utah?

Not in the subsection read. Utah sets no statutory grace period for the late fee cap, so a fee can apply once rent is late, subject to the greater-of cap. Any grace period would come from your lease.

Can I sue over an overcharge in Utah?

No. Utah Code 57-22-4(9) bars a renter from bringing a cause of action over a violation of the cap. You can raise the cap as a defense if the landlord sues to collect, but you cannot bring your own claim over an overcharge.

Primary source
→ Utah Code Ann. §57-22-4(5)
Utah Code (§ 57-22-4) · le.utah.gov
Cholilurrohman
Every figure on this page is checked line-by-line against the current statute. Editorial standards →

Not legal advicePlainStatute provides plain-language summaries of public law for general information only. This is not legal advice. Statutes change; always confirm current requirements with the official source linked above before acting.

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