Renters' Rights · Security Deposit
Security Deposit Laws in Utah
The most a landlord can charge, how long they have to return it, and what it costs them to keep your money without cause in Utah.
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What your landlord can hold, and when it's due back
Enter your rent for the Utah maximum, plus the return-deadline clock.
Estimate only, based on Utah's statutory cap. Your lease may set a lower deposit, and local ordinances can be stricter. Not legal advice.
The full rules, with the statute
Every requirement and where it comes from in the code.
Exceptions: Utah has no statutory ceiling on the size of a residential security deposit. A landlord may set any amount, so the figure is a matter of what the lease agrees to rather than what the law allows.
Penalties & recent changes
What happens if the landlord keeps your deposit wrongfully.
What Utah renters get wrong
Utah has one rule that trips up landlords more than any other: if any part of your deposit is meant to be nonrefundable, the landlord has to tell you so in writing at the time the deposit is taken (Utah Code 57-17-2). Skip that written notice and the whole amount is treated as refundable. There is no statutory cap on how large the deposit can be, so the figure is whatever your lease agrees to. After you move out, the landlord has 30 days from the end of the tenancy, or 15 days after receiving your new mailing address, whichever falls later, to return the balance along with a written itemization of any deductions. If that deadline passes, you can send a written demand giving the landlord five days to make things right; ignore it, and the landlord owes the full deposit, any prepaid rent, and a $100 penalty, plus your court costs and attorney fees if you have to sue.
Common questions
Can a landlord keep part of my deposit as a nonrefundable fee in Utah?
Only if the landlord told you in writing that the amount was nonrefundable at the time the deposit was taken (Utah Code 57-17-2). If that written notice was never given, the fee is treated as refundable, and you can recover it like the rest of your deposit.
How long does a Utah landlord have to return my deposit?
Within 30 days after the tenancy ends, or within 15 days after the landlord receives your new mailing address, whichever is later. The refund must come with a written itemization of any deductions, so it pays to give the landlord your forwarding address in writing.
Is there a limit on how much a Utah landlord can charge for a deposit?
No. Utah is one of the states with no statutory cap on a residential security deposit, so the amount is whatever your lease sets. The protections come from the return deadline and itemization rules, not from a ceiling on the amount.
What can I do if my Utah landlord will not return my deposit?
Serve a written demand that gives the landlord five calendar days to return the deposit, any prepaid rent, and a notice of deductions. If they still refuse, they owe the full deposit, any prepaid rent, and a $100 civil penalty, and a court may add your court costs and attorney fees if you have to sue to collect.
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.