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House narrows city authority over small rental units, passes SB96 with amendment
Summary
Senate Bill 96 passed the House (40–29) after floor amendment to clarify municipal business-license citations; the bill narrows municipal licensing and regulatory reach over duplexes and single-unit rentals and limits inspection frequency for triplexes and larger owners who pass inspection.
Sponsor explained that Senate Bill 96 clarifies and limits municipal authority to regulate small rental units. The bill exempts duplexes and single-unit rentals from local licensing regimes (except for premises and building code compliance), limits business-license requirements for small landlords, and establishes that triplexes and larger properties that pass inspection will not be subject to additional inspections for 36 months absent complaints.
Representative Curtis offered a coordination amendment to add a statutory citation for municipalities that require a simple business license (section 10-1-203), intended to distinguish regulatory licensing from revenue-generating business-license schemes. The author described the change as a coordination clause and noncontroversial.
Floor discussion emphasized that the bill does not affect building-code enforcement or public-health inspections; Salt Lake City’s repair-and-deduct ordinance and local enforcement powers remain intact. After debate and the amendment, the House passed SB96 as amended by a recorded vote of 40 yes and 29 no; the bill will be returned to the Senate because it was amended.
What’s next: Senate consideration of House amendments; local governments retain enforcement authority for health and safety measures despite statutory limitations on regulatory licensing.
