Landlord & Tenant

Utah's unlawful detainer statute moves fast. A three-day notice can become a judgment and a writ of restitution in a matter of weeks, and the treble damages available to a prevailing landlord make an unsuccessful defense expensive.

That speed cuts both ways. Landlords lose otherwise valid cases on defective notices, and tenants with real habitability claims lose them by failing to follow the statute's own procedure. Both sides of this practice are handled here.

What this includes

• Notices to quit, to pay or vacate, and to comply — drafted so they survive challenge
• Unlawful detainer actions and occupancy hearings
• Eviction defense, including improper notice and retaliation defenses
• Security deposit disputes and the required written deposit accounting
• Habitability and repair claims under the Utah Fit Premises Act
• Lease drafting and review for residential and commercial property
• Lease termination, buyout, and early exit negotiation
• Holdover tenants and abandoned property
• Rent recovery and post-judgment collection
• Fair housing and disability accommodation issues
• Nuisance and lease violation matters

What to expect

1. Immediate review of the notice and lease — the case usually turns on these two documents.
2. Where possible, a negotiated resolution, because a filed eviction follows a tenant for years and an empty unit costs a landlord monthly.
3. Filing or answering, on the compressed unlawful detainer timeline.
4. Occupancy hearing on possession, which is decided separately from and faster than damages.
5. Damages phase and, for landlords, collection.