Short-Term Rentals Decisions in Salt Lake City
How short-term rentals requests are decided across Salt Lake City, UT council meetings, the vote and the conditions on the record
Short-Term Rentals is one of the most actively tracked zoning topics in Salt Lake City, UT. ZoneWire has analyzed 5 council meetings and detected 22 instances of short-term rentals activity. Below are the most recent discussions.
What is Short-Term Rental (STR)?
A dwelling rented for stays shorter than 30 days (Airbnb, Vrbo). Regulated through zoning permits, caps, and owner-occupancy rules that change frequently.
A short-term rental (STR) is a residential property rented out for brief stays - typically under 30 consecutive days - through platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo. Unlike long-term rentals, STRs are treated by many zoning codes as a distinct land use, closer to lodging than to housing, which is why they attract dedicated ordinances.
Read full definitionShort-Term Rentals in Salt Lake City, UT
A dwelling rented for stays shorter than 30 days (Airbnb, Vrbo). Regulated through zoning permits, caps, and owner-occupancy rules that change frequently. In Salt Lake City, UT, local government bodies regularly discuss short-term rentals as part of zoning and land use decisions.
ZoneWire has analyzed 5 meetings in Salt Lake City and detected 22 mentions of short-term rentals, an average of 4.4 mentions per meeting.
No material zoning changes in Salt Lake City in the last 30 days. We monitor every Salt Lake City, UT meeting and surface new opportunities here as they happen.
The rules, as adopted
Verified 2026-07-21 from official sourcesSalt Lake City historically prohibited short-term rentals in all residential zones — and still does — but a brand-new licensing regime (Code Chapter 5.13) began accepting Short-Term Rental Business License applications July 1, 2026, allowing STRs only in listed mixed-use, downtown, gateway, and industrial districts. Licenses are limited to one per licensee citywide with a 200-night annual cap and 2-night minimum stay; application intake is temporarily paused until after August 8, 2026.
Are short-term rentals legal in Salt Lake City?
Only as of 2026, and only outside residential zones. STRs remain prohibited in all residential districts; the new license applies solely in the approved districts: MU2, MU3, MU5, MU6, MU8, MU11, M1, M1-A, D1–D4, GMU, RP, BP, A, and JRF. A business license is required before advertising or accepting bookings.
SLC Code Ch. 5.13; Title 21A use tables
What are the license limits?
One Short-Term Rental Business License per licensee citywide, tied to one property and one dwelling unit; buildings with more than 11 units may license up to 10% of units. Stays require a 2-night minimum, each license is capped at 200 rental nights per calendar year, and condos need an HOA authorization letter.
SLC Code Ch. 5.13
What does it cost?
Per the FY2027 Consolidated Fee Schedule: a base business-license fee plus $342 per rental unit. Application intake opened July 1, 2026 and is temporarily paused — the city says to check back after August 8, 2026.
Consolidated Fee Schedule (Ord. 2026-29); Utah Code 10-8-85.4
What taxes apply?
Combined transient room taxes of 7.07% (county 4.25% + state 1.32% + municipal 1.00% + tourism 0.50%) on stays under 30 days, in addition to sales tax, remitted through the Utah Taxpayer Access Point.
Utah Code Title 59, Ch. 12 (rates effective 2026-07-01)
What happens to rentals in residential zones?
They remain zoning violations enforced by SLC Civil Enforcement, which lists operating short-term rentals among its common enforcement targets. The new license does not open residential neighborhoods.
SLC Building Services Civil Enforcement
Not specified in the sources we verified
- Specific civil fine amounts for unlicensed operation (not published on fetchable official pages)
- The full text of Code Chapter 5.13 (the city’s code host blocks automated access; rules above come from the city’s official licensing and planning pages)
- Whether owner-occupancy is required (no such condition appears on any fetched official page)
Confirm these directly with Salt Lake City planning before relying on them.
Rules change at public hearings first — ZoneWire tracks every council discussion of this topic below.
Summary of adopted regulations; not legal advice. Verify current rules with the planning department.
Recent Short-Term Rentals meetings in Salt Lake City
Planning Commission - 2026-06-24
CompletedPlanning Commission - 2026-03-11
CompletedWhy Track Short-Term Rentals?
STR rules vary more between neighboring jurisdictions than almost any other land-use topic. The common regulatory levers:
Short-Term Rentals Regulations in Utah
Utah sets the regulatory framework that governs how short-term rentals decisions are made at the county and municipal level. State statutes define zoning authority, hearing requirements, and appeal processes that directly affect short-term rentals outcomes in Salt Lake City.
View all Utah zoning activityEvery Short-Term Rentals decision in Salt Lake City
See how every short-term rentals request in Salt Lake City was decided: the vote, the conditions attached, and how it moved through its hearings.
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Short-Term Rentals in Other Counties
Frequently Asked Questions
A short-term rental (STR) is a residential property rented out for brief stays - typically under 30 consecutive days - through platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo. Unlike long-term rentals, STRs are treated by many zoning codes as a distinct land use, closer to lodging than to housing, which is why they attract dedicated ordinances. ZoneWire tracks short-term rentals activity across Salt Lake City, UT public meetings.
ZoneWire monitors Salt Lake City, UT planning and council meetings, transcribes them, and flags short-term rentals activity. As of the latest update we have analyzed 5 meetings and detected 22 short-term rentals mentions.
Tracking short-term rentals in Salt Lake City surfaces zoning and development signals early, so developers, investors, and brokers can evaluate parcels and approvals before they reach the broader market.
Salt Lake City Council, the Planning Commission, and the Historic Landmark Commission are monitored by ZoneWire for station area plan amendments, master plan amendments, conditional use permits, rezoning, and design review applications across Salt Lake City.
Salt Lake City Council meets twice per month, with the Planning Commission holding hearings twice per month and the Historic Landmark Commission meeting monthly. This generates a steady volume of zoning and historic preservation decisions.
A station area plan in Salt Lake City guides development around TRAX light rail stations along the Wasatch Front. These plans establish density, building height, and use standards for transit-oriented development and are a primary driver of rezoning activity near TRAX corridors and the Inland Port area.
Key zoning terms for Salt Lake City include station area plan, master plan amendment, conditional use permit, rezoning, design review, historic landmark designation, planned development, and overlay district. ZoneWire tracks all of these automatically across every Salt Lake City governing body.
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Know how short-term rentals requests get decided in Salt Lake City, UT
Get the vote, the conditions, and how each short-term rentals request was decided, the day it lands.
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What gets approved in Salt Lake City
In Salt Lake City, 76% of land-use board decisions were approved over the last 24 months. Land use / comp-plan amendment clear 89%, Multifamily / attached housing 83%. ZoneWire analyzed 37 land-use board decisions in Salt Lake City over the last 24 months. Here are the most active project types and how often each one clears.
| Project type | Decisions | Approval rate |
|---|---|---|
| Land use / comp-plan amendment | 9 | 89% |
| Multifamily / attached housing | 6 | 83% |
| Industrial / warehouse | 5 | 40% |
1 decisions that went against the odds
These are the denials and deferrals in categories that usually sail through, the deals worth understanding before you commit capital.
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