A Utah residential lease agreement (“rental agreement”) is a legal contract between a landlord overseeing a residential property and a tenant who wishes to rent it. A residential lease may, on or before move-in, additionally require a security deposit from the tenant as assurance against future property damage.
These disclosures are required for some or all Utah residential lease agreements:
| Disclosure | Applicable To |
|---|---|
| New Tenant Disclosure | All New Tenants |
| Landlord’s Name and Address | All Units |
| Meth | Units Known To Be Contaminated |
| Lead Paint | All Units Built Before 1978 |
Applicable to all new tenants in Utah.
Utah landlords must provide new tenants with the following information, in writing, before accepting a rental application and beginning a lease:
Applicable to all Utah rentals.
Utah leases must contain the name and address of the landlord or authorized agent. This enables smooth communication of any important legal notice. This contact information is most often written in the lease agreement, for maximum convenience. The landlord has an obligation to notify the tenant in the event of a change in contact information. [1]
Applicable to any Utah rental with known possible methamphetamine contamination.
Utah landlords who have any knowledge relating to methamphetamine manufacturing, use, or storage on their rental property must disclose this to prospective tenants in the rental agreement. [3] Actual knowledge requires disclosure, but mere suspicion does not.
If contaminated, the owner or landlord must file a report with the relevant local agencies and document compliance with minimum decontamination standards.
This is an example of a methamphetamine disclosure:
Methamphetamine contamination can be dangerous to Tenant(s) in high concentrations, presenting health concerns through absorption of the materials in the air.
This property:
[ ] Has been found to be contaminated above safe levels and is in the process of decontamination.
[ ] Has been found to be contaminated, but falls within safe levels after tests were conducted.
[ ] Has no suspicion of contamination
Applicable to any rental units built before 1978.
For any property built before 1978, federal law requires that a Utah residential lease must contain a lead-based paint disclosure. This requires landlords to do the following:
The following lease agreement disclosures and addenda are not required by Utah law in residential lease agreements, but assist with tenant management and help limit landlord liability.
| Optional Disclosure | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Asbestos | Informs tenants about any asbestos hazards related to the property. Tenants can take precautions to reduce asbestos hazards by avoiding any disturbance of asbestos fibers. |
| Bed Bugs | Informs tenants whether the property or an adjacent unit has a history of suspected bed bug infestation, and reminds the tenant of the obligation to report suspected infestation immediately. |
| Late/Returned Check Fees | Specifies late fees or returned check fees related to the lease. Utah caps late fees at 10% of the rent or up to $75. Returned check fees are capped at $20, plus $35 collection costs if not paid within 15 days of proper notice. [4] |
| Medical Marijuana Use | Informs tenants about policy related to medical marijuana use on the rental property. Some state laws allow landlords to restrict marijuana usage to non-smoking methods only, or allow use only in designated smoking areas. |
| Mold Disclosure | Informs tenants about actual or suspected mold contamination on the property, along with any remediation efforts, to help limit landlord liability. |
| Non-Refundable Fees | Charges not agreed by the tenant in the lease may be refundable upon lease termination. For Utah landlords to charge a non-refundable fee, it must be disclosed and agreed as such in the lease. |
| Shared Utilities Arrangements | Discloses how charges are billed to individual tenants, when multiple rental units share a utility meter for the whole building or property. This ensures tenants receive fair charges and understand what uses contribute to their bill. |
| Smoking | Informs tenants of designated smoking areas that do not interfere with the quiet enjoyment of other tenants. |
Mandatory disclosures outline important health, safety, and property information for both landlord and tenant safety. A landlord who fails to provide federally or state-mandated disclosures could face legal consequences or monetary penalties, either from a tenant lawsuit or from state officials.
Failure to comply with the federal lead-based paint hazard disclosure risks fines of tens of thousands of dollars per violation.
(4) At or before the commencement of the rental term under a rental agreement, an owner shall:
(a) disclose in writing to the renter:
(i) the owner’s name, address, and telephone number; or
(ii)
(A) the name, address, and telephone number of any person authorized to manage the residential rental unit; or
(B) the name, address, and telephone number of any person authorized to act for and on behalf of the owner for purposes of receiving notice under this chapter or performing the owner’s duties under this chapter or under the rental agreement, if the person authorized to manage the residential rental unit does not have authority to receive notice under this chapter; and
(3) Before an owner and a prospective renter enter into a rental agreement, the owner shall:
(a) provide the prospective renter a written inventory of the condition of the residential rental unit, excluding ordinary wear and tear;
(b) furnish the renter a form to document the condition of the residential rental unit and then allow the resident a reasonable time after the renter’s occupancy of the residential rental unit to complete and return the form; or
(c) provide the prospective renter an opportunity to conduct a walkthrough inspection of the residential rental unit.
57-27-201 Disclosure of contaminated property required.
(1) Subject to Section 57-1-37, if an owner or lessor of real property has actual knowledge
that the property is currently contaminated from the use, storage, or manufacture of
methamphetamines, the owner or lessor shall, in a real property lease, conveyance, or other
transaction related to the contaminated property, disclose that the property is contaminated.
(2)
(a) If an owner’s or lessor’s real property is contaminated from the use, storage, or manufacture
of methamphetamines, the owner or lessor may report the contaminated property to
a government agency responsible for monitoring the decontamination process and
documenting that the test results meet decontamination standards.
(b) Notwithstanding Subsection (2)(a), an owner or lessor whose contaminated property is
reported in a police action related to the manufacturing of methamphetamines shall be subject
to the provisions of Title 19, Chapter 6, Part 9, Illegal Drug Operations Site Reporting and
Decontamination Act.
(b) If an issuer of a check is liable under Subsection (2)(a), the issuer is liable for:
(i) the check amount; and
(ii) a service charge of $20.
…
(4) If the issuer does not pay the amount owed under Subsection (2)(b) within 15 calendar days from the day on which the notice required under Subsection (5) is mailed, the issuer is liable for:
(a) the amount owed under Subsection (2)(b); and
(b) collection costs not to exceed $20.
…
(i) the amount owed under Subsection (2)(b);
(ii) the collection costs under Subsection (4);
(iii) an amount that:
(A) is equal to the greater of:
(I) $50; or
(II) triple the check amount; and
(B) does not exceed the check amount plus $250; and
(iv) if the holder retains an attorney to recover on the dishonored check, reasonable attorney’s fees not to exceed $50.
How Long Can a Residential Lease Be in Utah? Depending on circumstances, in Utah it’s usually possible to have a lease of any length of time, as long as the length of the lease term is specific and agreed in writing by the landlord and tenant. Oral leases can almost never be for a term of more than one year. Read more » Is a Contract to Lease Binding in Utah? Yes, a contract to lease is legally binding in Utah. To be valid, a contract to lease may have to be written, especially for a fixed term over one year. Oral leases may be valid in some cases (especially when both parties later behave as though there’s an enforceable oral lease), but often have strict limitations on enforceability for things like length of the lease term. Read more » Do Lease Agreements Need to Be Notarized in Utah? No, lease agreements do not need to be notarized in Utah. A notary helps establish the identity of the people signing the lease, if there’s a claim of fraud, but a notary isn’t necessary for a lease to be valid. Read more » Can a Lease Automatically Renew in Utah? Yes, a lease can automatically renew in Utah. Most rental agreements will automatically renew when the initial tenancy period is over. Depending on the language in the lease, it typically renews for the same term but can also become a month-to-month rental agreement, with the same basic terms and conditions otherwise as the original lease. Read more »
