Utah Fit Premises Act, Utah Code 57-22 — No Pest Text, and an Open Question for Dormitories

Citation

Utah Code Title 57, Chapter 22, Utah Fit Premises Act. Read from the Utah Legislature's versioned section files on September 24, 2026: 57-22-2 (effective May 9, 2017), 57-22-3 (effective May 7, 2025), and 57-22-4 (effective May 5, 2021).

What It Says (Verbatim)

57-22-2(5):

“(5) "Residential rental unit" means a renter's principal place of residence and includes the appurtenances, grounds, and facilities held out for the use of the residential renter generally, and any other area or facility provided to the renter in the rental agreement. It does not include facilities contained in a boarding or rooming house or similar facility, mobile home lot, or recreational property rented on an occasional basis.”

57-22-3(1):

“(1) Each owner and the owner's agent renting or leasing a residential rental unit shall maintain that unit in a condition fit for human habitation and in accordance with local ordinances and the rules of the board of health having jurisdiction in the area in which the residential rental unit is located. Each residential rental unit shall have electrical systems, heating, plumbing, and hot and cold water.”

57-22-4(1), opening provisions:

“(1) To protect the physical health and safety of the ordinary renter, an owner:

(a) may not rent the premises unless they are safe, sanitary, and fit for human occupancy; and

(b) shall:

(i) maintain common areas of the residential rental unit in a sanitary and safe condition;”

What It Means in Plain Language

The Act contains no text on pests, insects, rodents, or infestation. A search of the complete chapter for those words returned nothing. The pest-relevant hooks are general: premises “safe, sanitary, and fit for human occupancy,” and common areas in “a sanitary and safe condition.”

The Act also does not mention dormitories, students, universities, or government owners. Coverage turns on its defined terms, including the exclusion for facilities in “a boarding or rooming house or similar facility.” Whether a residence hall is such a facility, and whether a housing contract is a “rental agreement,” are questions the text does not answer. University-owned apartments for students and families may stand differently from residence halls. This page does not state that the Act does or does not reach any university housing.

Confidence Notes

HIGH confidence for the text and for the keyword result. Applicability to student housing is open.