Utah Code § 57-21 § 57-21-11
Relief granted -- Civil penalties -- Enforcement of final order.
Operative Text
Relief granted -- Civil penalties -- Enforcement of final order. (1) Under Sections 57-21-9 and 57-21-10, if the director, presiding officer, commissioner, Appeals Board, or court finds reasonable cause to believe that a discriminatory housing practice has occurred or is about to occur, the director, presiding officer, commissioner, Appeals Board, or court may order, as considered appropriate: (a) the respondent to cease any discriminatory housing practice; (b) actual damages, reasonable attorneys' fees and costs to the aggrieved person; and (c) any permanent or temporary injunction, temporary restraining order, or other appropriate order. (2) In addition to the relief granted to an aggrieved person under Subsection (1), in order to vindicate the public interest, the director, presiding officer, or court may also assess civil penalties against the respondent in an amount not exceeding: (a) $10,000 if the respondent has not been adjudged to have committed any prior discriminatory housing practice; (b) $25,000 if the respondent has been adjudged to have committed one other discriminatory housing practice during the five-year period ending on the date of the filing of the complaint; or (c) $50,000 if the respondent has been adjudged to have committed two or more discriminatory housing practices during the seven-year period ending on the date of the filing of this complaint. (3) The time periods in Subsections (2)(b) and (c) may be disregarded if the acts constituting the discriminatory housing practice are committed by the same natural person who has previously been adjudged to have committed a discriminatory housing practice. (4) The division may petition a court with jurisdiction under Title 78A, Judiciary and Judicial Administration, for: (a) the enforcement of a final department order; and (b) for any appropriate temporary relief or restraining order necessary for the enforcement of a final commission order.
Utah Code Ann. § 57-21-11 establishes the range of remedies available when a discriminatory housing practice is found to have occurred or to be imminent under Utah's Fair Housing Act. Decision-makers — including the director, presiding officer, commissioner, Appeals Board, or a court — may order a violator to stop the discriminatory conduct, pay actual damages and attorneys' fees to the harmed party, and comply with injunctions or restraining orders. Beyond relief to the individual, civil penalties up to $10,000 for a first offense, $25,000 for a second within five years, or $50,000 for two or more within seven years may be assessed to serve the broader public interest, and the division may seek court enforcement of any final order.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Property owners and managers should understand that § 57-21-11 gives Utah housing authorities and courts broad authority to impose layered consequences for discriminatory housing practices — not just compensation to an affected individual, but also escalating civil penalties based on prior adjudications. Operators who maintain documented, consistently applied tenant-selection criteria and fair-housing training programs are generally better positioned to demonstrate non-discriminatory conduct. Because repeat findings can trigger penalties as high as $50,000 under this provision, compliance programs that address fair housing obligations on an ongoing basis reflect sound operational practice.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Under § 57-21-11, if a discriminatory housing practice is substantiated through Utah's administrative or judicial process, you may be entitled to actual damages, reasonable attorneys' fees, and injunctive relief stopping the offending conduct. The provision also allows civil penalties to be assessed against a landlord in the public interest, which can reinforce the seriousness of a complaint. Tenants who believe they have experienced discriminatory housing practices may consider contacting the Utah Antidiscrimination and Labor Division, a local tenant-rights organization, or a fair-housing advocacy group to learn about available complaint processes under this provision.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated October 16, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
Effective Timeline
References In
Rules and statutes that cite this regulation
Related Rules
Source Information
Use this in your app
Access this data programmatically via our API