Free Utah Security Deposit Return Letter Template

Last reviewed September 2026

Written by LawLease Editorial

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Utah Security Deposit Return Letter

When a tenancy ends, an Utah landlord has a set time to return the deposit or send an itemized list of deductions. Here’s what Utah’s statute says.

Utah rules at a glance

Utah rules for a Security Deposit Return Letter
Return deadline	30 days. No later than 30 days after the renter vacates and returns possession, the owner must deliver the deposit balance, any prepaid-rent balance, and a written notice itemizing and explaining each deduction.Utah Code §57-17-3(2)
Penalty	An owner who still fails to return the deposit after the renter’s statutory demand notice owes the full deposit, any prepaid rent and a $100 civil penalty, with attorney fees against a party acting in bad faith.Utah Code §57-17-5

Security deposits in Utah

Utah sets no limit on the amount of a security deposit. The Residential Renters’ Deposits Act instead controls what can be kept, how quickly the balance comes back, and what happens if the landlord doesn’t respond.

Non-refundable portions — If any part of a deposit is non-refundable, that must be stated in writing to the renter when the deposit is taken (§57-17-2).
Permitted deductions — The deposit may be applied to unpaid rent, damage beyond reasonable wear and tear, other costs and fees provided for in the contract, and cleaning of the unit (§57-17-3(1)).
30-day accounting — No later than 30 days after the renter vacates and returns possession, the owner must deliver the deposit balance, any prepaid-rent balance, and a written notice itemizing and explaining each deduction to the renter’s last known address — or, since 2025, electronically by a means the renter provided (§57-17-3(2)).
Renter’s demand notice — If the owner misses the deadline, the renter may serve a statutory notice; the owner then has five business days to comply (§57-17-3(3), (5)).
Penalty — An owner who still fails to return the deposit owes the full deposit, any prepaid rent, and a $100 civil penalty, with attorney fees awarded against a party acting in bad faith. A renter who never serves the demand notice can’t use this remedy (§57-17-5).

Required disclosures in Utah

Utah doesn’t require state-specific mold, bedbug, or flood disclosures in an ordinary residential lease.

Pre-application terms — Rent, fixed expenses, availability, eligibility criteria, and refund conditions — in writing, before taking any application fee or payment (§57-22-4(3)).
Non-refundable deposit — Any non-refundable portion of a deposit, in writing, when the deposit is taken (§57-17-2).
All fees — Every fee the renter can be charged must appear in the rental agreement, or it can’t be charged (§57-22-4(5)(b)).
Move-in condition — Before the lease is signed, a written inventory of the unit’s condition, a condition form for the renter to complete after moving in, or a chance to do a walkthrough (§57-22-4(6)).
Owner & manager contact — At or before the start of the term, the name, address, and phone number of the owner or of the manager or authorized agent, plus an executed copy of a written lease and any rules (§57-22-4(7)).
Lead-based paint — Federal warning, pamphlet, and known-hazard disclosure for housing built before 1978 (42 U.S.C. §4852d).

Tenant protections

Retaliation — Utah has no general anti-retaliation statute, but the Utah Supreme Court recognizes retaliatory eviction as a defense to an unlawful-detainer action where the landlord evicts a tenant for reporting housing-code violations (Building Monitoring Systems, Inc. v. Paxton, 905 P.2d 1215 (Utah 1995)).
Fee caps are firm — The late-fee cap and the ban on fees not in the agreement apply regardless of what the lease says (§57-22-4(5)).
Deposit remedies — The $100 civil penalty and bad-faith fee-shifting for unreturned deposits come from statute, not the lease (§57-17-5).

Utah Security Deposit Return Letter FAQs

How much can a landlord charge for a security deposit in Utah?

Utah sets no cap. Any non-refundable portion must be disclosed in writing when the deposit is taken (§57-17-2).

How long does a Utah landlord have to return a security deposit?

30 days after the renter vacates and returns possession, together with a written itemization of deductions. If the landlord misses it, the renter can serve a demand notice; failing to comply within five business days exposes the landlord to the full deposit plus a $100 civil penalty (§§57-17-3, 57-17-5).

Security Deposit Return Letter in other states

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