Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
- Sen. Nate Blouin proposes SB125 to limit Utah eviction penalties.
- Blouin criticizes treble damages, facing opposition from the landlordfriendly legislature.
- Paul Smith argues current laws reduce evictions and protect both tenants and landlords.
SALT LAKE CITY — A state lawmaker wants to loosen Utah's eviction laws by limiting the penalties a renter can be required to pay.
State law currently allows for treble damages in evictions, meaning a renter being evicted has to pay three times what they owe a landlord for rent or other costs.
Sen. Nate Blouin, D-Millcreek, told KSL-TV those penalties are "ridiculous," and he's proposing to change the law by sponsoring SB125.
But Blouin is already facing opposition and acknowledges this is an uphill battle in the landlord friendly Utah Legislature.
Eliminating treble damages
Nearly a third of people who live in Utah rent, according to the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute. Blouin said a lot of them live in his district in Salt Lake County.
"Looking around us, there are apartments going up," Blouin said during an interview outside the Millcreek City Hall.
Blouin believes the Legislature hasn't done enough to help renters in a difficult market. He wants to remove the ability for judges to impose steep fees in evictions.
"It doesn't make any sense to me to add additional fees onto the top of someone who's already struggling," said Blouin.
Landlords respond
Paul Smith, executive director of the Rental Housing Association of Utah, which represents landlords, does not support Blouin's proposal. He said it would only make things worse.
"Since Utah required judges to impose treble damages, evictions have gone down 50%," Smith said. "I don't see why we would throw out something that's working to reduce the number of evictions."
Smith added the law ensures tenants understand the consequences of not paying rent or failing to communicate with their landlords.
"We want it clear that if you force a landlord to go through an eviction," Smith said, "there is going to be a consequence, so settle or move out earlier."
The law also applies to landlords, Smith said.
"I know a landlord that threw away somebody's stuff illegally," he said. "They had to pay not just the value of that stuff but triple, so it's a double-edged sword. It helps both sides."
Starting a conversation
Blouin acknowledged the chance of his bill moving forward is slim, but he wants to start a conversation.
"It's not our job to make it more punitive for people that are already just trying to keep a roof over their heads," Blouin said.
This is one of hundreds of bills the Utah Legislature will consider during the upcoming session, which starts on Tuesday.
