Landlord & tenant · Utah
the short answer
Serve the notice the statute requires before you do anything else. Utah hangs the whole remedy on that step, and skipping it leaves you with nothing. After it, the landlord has 30 days, and you can recover the full deposit, any prepaid rent, and a civil penalty of $100.
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governing statute
Utah Code § 57-17-3
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deadline
30 days
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Across the country. 23 of the 47 states written up answer this the same way as Utah. The shortest is 14 days, as in Alaska; the longest is 60 days, as in Alabama. Compare every state →
penalty
The full deposit, the full amount of any prepaid rent, and a civil penalty of $100 (§ 57-17-5). Costs and attorney fees only where the court finds the other side acted in bad faith.
source ↗Not yet checked against the statute.
small claims limit
$20,000
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exceptions: The limit counts attorney's fees but not court costs or interest. It rises to $25,000 on 1 January 2030.
source ↗Not yet checked against the statute.
also
Utah conditions the whole remedy on your serving the statutory notice first. Skip that step and § 57-17-5 gives you nothing.
source ↗Not yet checked against the statute.
your situation
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