Utah Code § 78B-6-801 § 78B-6-811

Judgment for restitution, damages, and rent -- Immediate enforcement -- Remedies.

In Force
Verified 10/16/2026 · Next check 10/23/2026
effective 10/16/2026UtahSummary Process

Operative Text

Utah Code § 78B-6-801 § 78B-6-811
Judgment for restitution, damages, and rent -- Immediate enforcement -- Remedies.

(1) (a) A court may:
(i) enter a judgment upon the merits or upon default; and
(ii) issue an order of restitution regardless of whether a judgment is entered.
(b) A judgment entered in favor of the plaintiff shall include an order for the restitution of the premises as provided in Section 78B-6-812.
(c) If the proceeding is for unlawful detainer after neglect or failure to perform any condition or covenant of the lease or agreement under which the property is held, or after default in the payment of rent, the judgment shall also declare the forfeiture of the lease or agreement.
(d) (i) A forfeiture under Subsection (1)(c) does not release a defendant from any obligation for payments on a lease for the remainder of the lease's term.
(ii) Subsection (1)(d)(i) does not change any obligation on either party to mitigate damages.
(2) The jury or the court, if the proceeding is tried without a jury or upon the defendant's default, shall also assess the damages resulting to the plaintiff from any of the following:
(a) forcible entry;
(b) forcible or unlawful detainer;
(c) waste of the premises during the defendant's tenancy, if waste is alleged in the complaint and proved at trial;
(d) the amounts due under the contract; and
(e) the abatement by eviction of a private nuisance as described in Section 78B-6a-303.
(3) The court shall enter the judgment against the defendant for the rent and for three times the amount of the damages assessed under Subsections (2)(a) through (2)(e).
(4) (a) If the proceeding is for unlawful detainer, the court shall issue execution upon the judgment immediately after the entry of the judgment.
(b) In all cases, the judgment may be issued and enforced immediately.
(5) In an action under this chapter, the court:
(a) shall award costs and reasonable attorney fees to the prevailing party;
(b) may modify a judgment for additional amounts owed if a motion is submitted within 180 days on the earlier of the day on which:
(i) the order of restitution is enforced; or
(ii) the defendant vacates the premises; and
(c) may grant a party additional time for a motion under Subsection (5)(b).
(6) (a) If the court issues an order of restitution, the defendant shall provide a current address to the court and the plaintiff within 30 days of the day on which the court issues the order of restitution.
(b) Failure of a defendant to provide an address under Subsection (6)(a) does not require the plaintiff or the court to bear the burden of seeking out the defendant to provide notice for any subsequent proceeding.
Source: Legislative text reproduced verbatim
Plain English

Utah Code Ann. § 78B-6-811 governs what a court can award when a landlord wins an unlawful detainer (eviction) case. A successful plaintiff may receive an order restoring possession of the property, a declaration that the lease is forfeited, and a money judgment covering unpaid rent plus up to three times the assessed damages for forcible entry, unlawful detainer, waste, amounts owed under the contract, or nuisance abatement. The court must also award costs and reasonable attorney fees to whichever party prevails, and judgments can be enforced immediately upon entry.

Written by anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.6 · Reviewed on October 16, 2026

Plain English — not legal advice.

For Property Managers

Under § 78B-6-811, a landlord who prevails in an unlawful detainer action is generally entitled to seek restitution of the premises, a forfeiture declaration, and a damages award that can be trebled by the court. Compliant operators typically document all lease violations, unpaid rent, and any waste or nuisance conditions carefully, since those amounts form the basis of the damages assessment. Landlords should also be aware that a forfeiture judgment does not automatically extinguish a former tenant's remaining lease obligations, and that both parties retain a duty to mitigate damages; additionally, a motion for additional amounts owed may be filed within 180 days of restitution being enforced or the tenant vacating.

General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.

For Tenants

Under § 78B-6-811, a tenant facing an unlawful detainer judgment should understand that the court can award the landlord treble damages on top of unpaid rent, and that a lease forfeiture does not necessarily end the tenant's financial obligations for the remainder of the lease term. Tenants also have the right to prevailing-party attorney fees and costs if they successfully defend the action. A tenant who receives an order of restitution is required by § 78B-6-811(6) to provide a current address to the court and the plaintiff within 30 days; tenant-rights organizations can help explain how this requirement and the 180-day window for additional damage motions may affect a former tenant's situation.

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

Current
Oct 16, 2026
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References Out

Rules and statutes cited by this regulation

References In

Rules and statutes that cite this regulation

Utah Code § 78B-6-811
Utah Code § 78B-6-812
Utah Code § 78B-6-812
Utah Code § 78B-6-810
Utah Code § 78B-6-805
Utah Code § 78B-6-808
Utah Code § 78B-6-816
Utah Code § 78B-6-816
Utah Code § 78B-6-801
Utah Code § 78B-6-814
Utah Code § 78B-6-805
Utah Code § 78B-6-812
Utah Code § 78B-6-811
Utah Code § 78B-6-805
Utah Code § 78B-6-802

Related Rules

§ 1
Persons entitled to summary process
§ 3
Judgment and execution; costs; appeal
§ 5
Appeal; bond; actions thereon; waiver; appeal of waiver or periodic payments; notice of decision

Source Information

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