Housing Laws

You can require your landlord to change the locks to your rental unit if:

1. you have been the victim of one of the following crimes:

• domestic violence;
• dating violence;
• stalking;
• burglary; or
• a sexual offense;¹ and

2. you give the landlord one of the following documents:

• a final cohabitant abuse protective order – it cannot be a temporary order; or
• a copy of a police report documenting the act of domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, burglary, or a sexual offense.²

You are responsible for the costs of installing the new lock, and the landlord may keep a key.³

Note: Your landlord is not allowed to give the abuser a new key unless the abuser gets a separate court order saying that s/he is entitled to one.⁴

¹ UT ST § 57-22-5.1(1)(b), (3)(a)
² UT ST § 57-22-5.1(2), (3)(a)(i)
³ UT ST § 57-22-5.1(3)(a)(ii), (3)(c)
⁴ UT ST § 57-22-5.1(3)(d), (3)(e)(i)