Source: https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/tenants-right-break-rental-lease-utah.html
Timestamp: 2019-10-18 22:00:36
Document Index: 199450858

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 78', '§78', '§ 57', '§ 57', '§ 57', '§ 78']

Tenant's Right to Break a Rental Lease in Utah | Nolo
Tenant's Right to Break a Rental Lease in Utah
Learn when and how tenants may legally break a lease in Utah and how to limit liability for rent through the end of the lease term.
Many tenants who sign a lease for their apartment or rental unit plan to stay for the full amount of time required in the lease, such as one year. But despite your best intentions, you may want (or need) to leave before your lease is up—for example, if you’re a student at the University of Utah and only want to stay in your apartment for the period of time that school is in session. Or perhaps you’re moving in with your boyfriend or girlfriend. Sometimes, you may need to move in order to be closer to your new job or an elderly parent who needs your help.
Leaving before a fixed-term lease expires without paying the remainder of the rent due under the lease is called breaking the lease. Here’s a brief review of tenant rights in Utah to break a lease without further liability for the rent.
Tenant Rights and Responsibilities When Signing a Lease in Utah
A lease obligates both you and your landlord for a set period of time, usually a year. Under a typical lease, a landlord can’t raise the rent or change other terms, until the lease runs out (unless the lease itself provides for a change, such as a rent increase mid-lease). A landlord can’t force you to move out before the lease ends, unless you fail to pay the rent or violate another significant term, such as repeatedly throwing large and noisy parties. In these cases, landlords in Utah must follow specific procedures to end the tenancy. For example, your landlord must give you three days’ notice to pay the rent or leave (Utah Code Ann. § 78B-6-802) before filing an eviction lawsuit. If you have caused substantial damage to the property, your landlord may give you an unconditional quit notice, giving you three days to move out. (Utah Code Ann. §78B-6-802).
When Breaking a Lease Is Justified in Utah
The Rental Unit Is Unsafe or Violates Utah Health or Safety Codes
If your landlord does not provide habitable housing under local and state housing codes, a court would probably conclude that you have been “constructively evicted;” this means that the landlord, by supplying unlivable housing, has for all practical purposes “evicted” you, so you have no further responsibility for the rent. Utah law (Utah Code Ann. § 57-22-6) sets specific requirements for the procedures you must follow before moving out because of a major repair problem. The problem must be truly serious, such as the lack of heat or other essential service.
State law (Utah Code Ann. § 57-22-5.1) provides early termination rights for tenants who are victims of domestic violence, provided that specified conditions are met (such as the tenant filing a police report or security in protective order).
Under state law in Utah, your landlord must give you 24 hours’ notice to enter rental property unless the rental agreement specifies otherwise (Utah Code Ann. § 57-22-4(2)). If your landlord repeatedly violates your rights to privacy, or does things like removing windows or doors, turning off your utilities, or changing the locks, you would be considered “constructively evicted,” as described above; this would usually justify you breaking the lease without further rent obligation.
Landlord’s Duty to Find a New Tenant in Utah
If you don’t have a legal justification to break your lease, the good news is that you may still be off the hook for paying all the rent due for the remaining lease term. This is because under Utah law (Utah Code Ann. § 78B-6-816, Reid v. Mutual of Omaha Ins. Co., 776 P.2d 896 (Utah 1989)), your landlord must make reasonable efforts to re-rent your unit—no matter what your reason for leaving—rather than charge you for the total remaining rent due under the lease. So you may not have to pay much, if any additional rent, if you break your lease. You need pay only the amount of rent the landlord loses because you moved out early. This is because Utah requires landlords to take reasonable steps to keep their losses to a minimum—or to “mitigate damages” in legal terms.
The bad news is that if the landlord tries to rerent your unit, and can’t find an acceptable tenant, you will be liable for paying rent for the remainder of your lease term. This could be a substantial amount of money if you leave several months before your lease ends. Your landlord will probably first use your security deposit to cover the amount you owe. But if your deposit is not sufficient, your landlord may sue you, probably in small claims court where the limit is $11,000 in Utah.
More Information on Landlord-Tenant Law in Utah