Salt Lake City's new short-term rental rules

01What changed in Salt Lake City on July 1, 2026?

Salt Lake City's short-term rental ordinance took effect on July 1, 2026, and it requires every host to hold a city business license before renting a property for stays of fewer than 30 days. The license costs $198 in base fees plus $342 per unit, a minimum of $540 per unit per year. Rentals are capped at 200 nights per calendar year, every booking must run at least two consecutive nights, and short-term rentals are barred from most residential zones. Operating without a license can draw a fine of up to $1,000 every seven days.

The city passed the ordinance in response to concerns over housing supply and neighborhood impact, and it is enforced through complaints and investigation records rather than automatic monitoring. Below is the full sequence a host has to run, in order.

02Can you even list your property?

Not every Salt Lake City property qualifies. Short-term rentals are barred from most residential zones and are only allowed in designated mixed-use areas, downtown, Central City, the Granary district, and along major transit and arterial corridors. Confirming the zoning designation for the exact address is the first step, because no amount of paperwork makes an ineligible property licensable.

If the property sits in an HOA-governed community, the HOA also has to sign off before it can operate as a short-term rental. For condominiums, that means an HOA authorization letter submitted with the application. Renters need a property authorization form from the owner as well.

03How do you get a Salt Lake City short-term rental license?

Assuming the property is eligible, hosts must apply for a city business license before renting for stays under 30 days. The license is property-specific and comes with four constraints worth knowing up front:

Applications also require a government-issued photo ID, owner and local contact information, an emergency contact, a property authorization form where the applicant is not the owner, an HOA authorization letter for condominiums, and a self-certification form.

Fees and application requirements come from Salt Lake City's Consolidated Fee Schedule and can change. Verify the current figures with the city before budgeting.

04What are the day-to-day rules for a licensed STR?

Once licensed, a Salt Lake City host takes on ongoing operating obligations. These are the requirements that get checked when a neighbor complaint reaches the city:

The two-hour local contact rule is the one most often underestimated. If you manage a Salt Lake City listing remotely, you need a named person inside Salt Lake County who can physically reach the property, not just answer a phone.

05How many nights can you rent in Salt Lake City?

Salt Lake City operators have to work within three structural limits, each aimed at a different concern:

• Minimum stay, 2 nights: every booking must run at least two consecutive nights, which is meant to discourage single-night party rentals;
• Annual cap, 200 nights: a licensed unit can be rented no more than 200 nights per calendar year, so it cannot function as a de facto hotel;
• Building density, 10%: in buildings with more than 10 units, short-term rentals cannot exceed 10% of total units, which effectively creates a first-come queue in larger buildings.

The 200-night cap has a practical consequence for revenue planning: at full compliance a Salt Lake City listing is unavailable roughly 165 nights a year, or about 45% of the calendar. Some operators bridge that gap with 30-day-plus stays, which fall outside the short-term rental definition entirely.

06What happens if you don't comply?

Salt Lake City isn't shy about enforcement, and the penalties compound quickly. Unlicensed operation can draw fines of up to $1,000 every seven days, so a single quarter of unlicensed operation can run past $12,000 in exposure. Any property with an open nuisance complaint won't get a new license or a renewal.

For licensed hosts, the escalation path is defined: three violations within a year triggers a suspension, and three consecutive suspensions means the license is revoked entirely. Because licenses are non-transferable and capped at one per property, a revocation is not something you can quietly re-apply your way out of.

07Does the license cover Utah lodging tax?

No. Licensing is a city-level requirement, and it does not replace Utah state and local tax obligations. A Salt Lake City host still needs to know when a platform like Airbnb or Vrbo is collecting Utah lodging tax on their behalf, versus when they are on the hook to register, collect, file, and remit it themselves.

Marketplace collection is almost always partial. A platform may collect the statewide tax and leave a county or city layer to the host, and some jurisdictions still require the host to file a return and claim platform-collected amounts as a deduction. Getting this wrong is a separate, and often costlier, compliance risk than a missed license renewal, because unremitted tax accrues with penalties and interest while a license lapse is a fixed fine.

08What's next for the ordinance?

The Salt Lake City ordinance is live, but it is not necessarily final. The city council is reviewing possible amendments while city staff study revisions, and the provisions reportedly on the table include changes to the two-night minimum, modifications to the 200-night annual cap, a reconsideration of the multifamily density restriction, and possible grandfather provisions for existing operators.

Separately, the city has noted that applications are not being processed until after August 8, 2026, so hosts applying now should plan for a delay. Watch the full ordinance text for updates before making decisions that depend on any single limit staying put.

09Frequently asked questions

Do I need a license to run an Airbnb in Salt Lake City?
Yes. Since July 1, 2026, Salt Lake City requires a short-term rental business license before you rent a property for stays of fewer than 30 days. The license costs $198 base plus $342 per unit, only one is issued per property, licenses cannot be transferred in a sale, and the license number must be displayed on every listing and advertisement.

How much does a Salt Lake City short-term rental license cost?
$198 in base fees plus $342 per unit, a minimum of $540 per unit per year. One applicant may hold only one short-term rental business license within the city.

How many nights can you rent a short-term rental in Salt Lake City?
Up to 200 rental nights per calendar year, with a minimum of two consecutive nights per booking. The cap exists to stop a licensed unit from operating as a de facto hotel; the two-night floor targets single-night party rentals.

Where are short-term rentals allowed in Salt Lake City?
Only in designated mixed-use areas, including downtown, Central City, the Granary district, and properties along major transit and arterial corridors. Most residential zones are excluded, buildings with more than 10 units are capped at 10% short-term rental units, and HOA-governed properties need HOA authorization.

What is the penalty for operating an unlicensed short-term rental in Salt Lake City?
Up to $1,000 every seven days. A property with an open nuisance complaint cannot get a new license or a renewal, three violations within a year suspends a license, and three consecutive suspensions revokes it.

Does a Salt Lake City short-term rental license cover Utah lodging tax?
No. The city license and Utah lodging tax are separate obligations. Hosts must still determine what Airbnb or Vrbo collects on their behalf and register, collect, file, and remit the rest themselves.

10How Monterra helps Salt Lake City hosts

The city license is yours to obtain, but everything downstream of it, the lodging tax, is what Monterra runs for you. Monterra is an outsourced lodging tax filing service with built-in occupancy tax automation that covers the tax half of Salt Lake City compliance:

• Registration: we identify and secure the Utah state and local tax registrations each property needs;
• Rates: the correct combined rate is applied by exact address, not just by city;
• Variance detection: we reconcile what Airbnb and Vrbo actually collected against what you owed, per property and per period;
• Filing & remittance: returns filed and paid on time, including zero returns for months your 200-night cap kept the calendar empty.

11Sources

• Salt Lake City Finance Division, Short-Term Rentals, licensing, zoning, and application requirements.
• The Salt Lake Tribune, coverage of the new short-term rental ordinance.
• Fox 13 News Utah, council review and possible amendments.
• Salt Lake City adopted legislation, full ordinance text.