How much a landlord can charge, and which deductions are actually legal
This page covers how much a landlord may charge in Utah, and which deductions from a residential deposit are lawful. It assumes the tenancy has ended and the question is what may be withheld.
It does not cover:
No statutory cap under state law. (Any non-refundable portion must be stated in writing at the time the deposit is taken — § 57-17-2.)
Caps frequently carry exceptions — smaller landlords, furnished units, or pets are treated differently in most states. Read the provision itself rather than relying on the headline figure.
| Claimed deduction | Permitted in Utah |
|---|---|
| Payment of rent | Permitted, if substantiated |
| Damages to the premises beyond reasonable wear and tear | Permitted, if substantiated |
| Other costs and fees provided for in the contract | Permitted, if substantiated |
| Cleaning of the unit | Permitted, if substantiated |
| Claimed deduction | Permitted in Utah |
|---|---|
| Reasonable wear and tear | Not permitted |
| Any amount without the written itemized notice within 30 days | Not permitted |
Whether a specific charge is lawful depends on the facts — how old the damage is, whether the lease addressed it, and whether the landlord can document the cost. A charge being in the "permitted" column does not make it automatically collectable.
The landlord must return the deposit and prepaid rent with a written itemized notice within 30 days, and may only deduct for rent, damages beyond reasonable wear and tear, contractual costs/fees, and cleaning. Failure (after a 5-day cure notice) triggers full recovery plus a $100 penalty.
In Utah the burden sits with the landlord. This matters strategically: if the burden is theirs, your task is to request the documentation rather than to prove the deduction wrong. Utah Code § 57-17-3 ↗
A flat penalty of $100.
If the owner fails to comply within 30 days, the renter may serve a 5-business-day notice. If the owner still fails to comply, the owner must refund the ENTIRE deposit, the full prepaid rent, and a $100 civil penalty. This is a flat $100 penalty (not a multiplier), triggered after the 5-day cure notice.
Utah Code § 57-17-3(3), 57-17-5 ↗The tenant may recover the landlord's attorney fees.
If the renter must litigate and the court finds the owner acted in BAD FAITH, the owner is liable for the renter's court costs and attorney fees. Requires a bad-faith finding.
Utah Code § 57-17-5 ↗Utah's remedy is procedural: serve a 5-business-day notice, and if the landlord still does not comply, they owe the full deposit + full prepaid rent + a $100 penalty. It is a flat penalty, not a multiplier, and requires the notice step first.
Utah Code § 57-17-3(3) ↗If the renter must litigate to enforce the statute and the court finds bad faith, the landlord is liable for the renter's court costs and attorney fees — on top of the deposit, prepaid rent, and $100 penalty.
Utah Code § 57-17-5 ↗““I deducted for cleaning and damages.””
You must mail or deliver the deposit balance, prepaid rent balance, and a written itemized notice within 30 days of my vacating. If you did not, I can serve a 5-day notice, after which you owe my full deposit, full prepaid rent, and a $100 penalty.
Utah Code § 57-17-3
““You did not leave a forwarding address.””
You may mail the deposit and notice to my last known address, or electronically if I provided a means. A missing forwarding address does not erase your 30-day obligation.
Utah Code § 57-17-3(2)
““I will keep the deposit and you can sue me.””
After a 5-day notice, you owe my full deposit, full prepaid rent, and a $100 penalty. If I must sue and the court finds bad faith, you also owe my court costs and attorney fees.
Utah Code § 57-17-3(3), 57-17-5
Some widely circulated summaries of Utah deposit law state things the statute does not say. We list the disagreements rather than picking a side silently.
| Source | What it says |
|---|---|
| Generic checklists | 2x penalty |
| Utah Code § 57-17-3(3) | Full deposit + full prepaid rent + $100 flat penalty |
What we follow: Full recovery + $100 flat penalty
Utah has no multiplier. The remedy is full recovery plus a flat $100 penalty, triggered after a 5-day cure notice.
Every figure on this page comes from the official text, not from a summary. The table below lists each provision used and the date it was last checked against the source.
| Statute | Last verified | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Utah Code § 57-17-3(2) | 2026-10-15 | official text ↗ |
| Utah Code § 57-17-3(3), 57-17-5 | 2026-10-15 | official text ↗ |
| Utah Code § 57-17-5 | 2026-10-15 | official text ↗ |
| Utah Code § 57-17-3 | 2026-10-15 | official text ↗ |
| Utah Code § 57-17-3(3) | 2026-10-15 | official text ↗ |
Primary reference: Utah Code §§ 57-17-1 to 57-17-5 (Residential Renters' Deposits). Where the official text and a secondary summary disagree, this page follows the official text and says so. Amendments are recorded on the site changelog.
A self-help letter is the right starting point for a single deposit you can document. Get legal help if:
Local legal aid organisations and tenant unions offer free help for qualifying cases. They are independent of this site — we list them because they are the right place to go, not because they link here.
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The statute does not permit deductions for: reasonable wear and tear; any amount without the written itemized notice within 30 days.
The landlord. The landlord must return the deposit and prepaid rent with a written itemized notice within 30 days, and may only deduct for rent, damages beyond reasonable wear and tear, contractual costs/fees, and cleaning. Failure (after a 5-day cure notice) triggers full recovery plus a $100 penalty.
No statutory cap under state law. (Any non-refundable portion must be stated in writing at the time the deposit is taken — § 57-17-2.)
No. Reasonable wear and tear