Airbnb & Short-Term Rental Rules in Salt Lake City, UT (2026)

Salt Lake City, UT allows short-term rentals — commonly listed on platforms like Airbnb and VRBO — subject to local regulations that have evolved significantly since 2015. Hosts must register with the city (Short-Term Rental License) before listing their property. Salt Lake City regulates STRs to balance tourism revenue with neighborhood quality of life. Key rules cover primary residence requirements, nightly limits, occupancy caps, and tax collection obligations. Hosts who operate without required registration or in violation of city rules face substantial fines. Below are the current registration requirements, rules, platform-specific notes, and penalties for Salt Lake City.

Registration Requirements

Registration Required: Short-Term Rental License. Registration fee: $110. Annual renewal: $110 annually. Register through the Salt Lake City Building Services or Salt Lake City Division of Planning. Your registration number must be displayed on all platform listings. Failure to register before hosting is a violation subject to fines.

Operational Rules

Short-Term Rental Rules in Salt Lake City: 1. Host must obtain Salt Lake City Short-Term Rental License 2. License number must be displayed on all listing platforms 3. Property must meet housing, fire, and building codes 4. Maximum occupancy based on bedroom count 5. Noise, parking, and nuisance ordinances apply 6. SLC distinguishes between hosted (host present) and unhosted (whole-home) rentals 7. Utah State Tax Commission requires transient room tax — Airbnb and VRBO typically collect and remit

• •Host must obtain Salt Lake City Short-Term Rental License
• •License number must be displayed on all listing platforms
• •Property must meet housing, fire, and building codes
• •Maximum occupancy based on bedroom count
• •Noise, parking, and nuisance ordinances apply
• •SLC distinguishes between hosted (host present) and unhosted (whole-home) rentals
• •Utah State Tax Commission requires transient room tax — Airbnb and VRBO typically collect and remit

Platform-Specific Rules

Platform-Specific Rules in Salt Lake City: Airbnb: Airbnb collects and remits Utah transient room tax and Salt Lake County taxes on behalf of SLC hosts VRBO: VRBO collects state and local taxes on behalf of hosts in Salt Lake City Always verify current platform tax collection and remittance policies directly with your platform — these can change without advance notice to hosts.

Penalties for Violations

Penalties for STR Violations in Salt Lake City: Operating without a license: $500-$1,000 fine; Repeat violations may result in license revocation; Code enforcement action for housing code violations. Salt Lake City has enforcement mechanisms to identify unlicensed short-term rental listings on platforms. Hosts should ensure all registrations are current and listings display valid registration numbers.

• ⚠Operating without a license: $500-$1,000 fine
• ⚠Repeat violations may result in license revocation
• ⚠Code enforcement action for housing code violations

Frequently Asked Questions