Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Landlord Tenant topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee holds landlord‑habitability bill after divided testimony from housing authorities, tenants and landlords
Summary
Rep. Schallenberger’s HB 516 would allow landlords to terminate tenancies for units deemed uninhabitable if conditions can’t be fixed while tenants remain; stakeholders urged clearer definitions and tenant protections. The committee voted to hold the bill for further drafting and stakeholder work.
Representative Schallenberger described HB 516 as a set of targeted amendments to the landlord‑tenant code to address dangerous or deficient conditions. Under the proposal, if a landlord determines a unit is not habitable and cannot be remedied while the tenant remains, the landlord may terminate the tenancy with a 10‑day notice (a period that mirrors existing habitability provisions).
David Todd, an attorney for property managers, told the committee the statute already uses the terms 'deficient' and 'dangerous' and that statutory remedies (tenant notice, three‑day repair windows in some contexts, tenants’ dispute rights) remain available. On the 10‑day rule, Todd said other parts of the code already use 10 days for habitability terminations and the sub mirrors the statute.
Why it matters: proponents—particularly some landlords and the Rental Housing Association—said the proposal fills a gap when urgent repairs cannot be performed while a tenant remains. Opponents, including housing authorities and tenant‑advocacy groups, said the draft is too vague about what constitutes a 'deficient' or 'dangerous' condition, could be used to remove tenants unfairly, and would create hardship because a tenant could be required to find new housing within 10 days.
Public testimony illustrated those tensions. Jake Andrag (NARO/housing authorities) and Crossroads Urban Center warned the language is vague and could produce tenant displacement; Tara Rollins (Utah Housing Coalition) and other advocates urged further work. The Rental Housing Association and some landlord witnesses said they are open to language changes and that the sponsor had agreed to continue negotiations.
Action: Chair Malloy moved to hold HB 516 so the sponsor and stakeholders could refine the language; the committee adopted the motion to hold after a roll-call vote.
Next steps: The sponsor committed to continued conversations with housing stakeholders to address vagueness, operational concerns, and tenant safeguards before returning the bill to committee.
