What to check before you sign a lease in Salt Lake City
Ten minutes of checking during a viewing saves a year of small frustrations. The list our own team uses when touring homes, written for renters.
By the Ekot team · October 1, 2026 · Reviewed by Esther Jackson-Stowell, Principal Broker
At the viewing
- Run every tap and the shower at the same time; weak pressure is impossible to ignore later.
- Check your phone signal in each room, especially if you work from home.
- Look at the parking, the walk from the car to the door, and the lighting after dark.
- Open the breaker panel and the water shut-off; know where they are before you need them.
In the lease
- Who handles snow removal, lawn care, furnace filters and smoke alarm batteries.
- How maintenance is requested and what counts as an emergency.
- The deposit amount, what it covers, and how it is returned under Utah’s 30-day rule.
- Notice periods for renewal and for moving out.
With the manager
Ask who you call, how fast they answer, and whether there is a 24-hour line. At Ekot every resident has a portal for rent and requests and a named contact at our South Salt Lake office.
General information for Salt Lake Valley owners and residents, not legal, tax or lending advice. Figures are dated and sourced where given. Reviewed by Esther Jackson-Stowell, Principal Broker.
