Utah Code § 78B-6a § 78B-6a-101

Definitions for chapter.

In Force
Verified 10/16/2026 · Next check 10/23/2026
effective 10/16/2026UtahEviction & Just Cause

Operative Text

Utah Code § 78B-6a § 78B-6a-101
Definitions for chapter.

As used in this chapter:
(1) (a) "Agricultural operation" means the commercial production of crops, orchards, livestock, poultry, aquaculture, livestock products, or poultry products.
(b) "Agricultural operation" includes:
(i) the real property where the commercial production described in Subsection (1)(a) occurs;
(ii) a facility, a property, or equipment used to facilitate the commercial production described in Subsection (1)(a);
(iii) an agritourism activity, as defined in Section 78B-4-512; or
(iv) an agricultural protection area established under Title 17, Chapter 81, Agriculture, Industrial, and Critical Infrastructure Materials.
(2) "Agriculture protection area" means the same as that term is defined in Section 17-81-101.
(3) "Controlled substance" means the same as that term is defined in Section 58-37-101.
(4) "Critical infrastructure materials operations" means the same as the term "critical infrastructure materials use" is defined in Section 10-20-701.
(5) "Drug nuisance" means fumes resulting from the unlawful manufacturing or the unlawful possession or use of a controlled substance that drift into a residential unit a person rents, leases, or owns, from another residential or commercial unit.
(6) "Government entity" means:
(a) the state, any county, municipality, special district, special service district, or any other political subdivision or administrative unit of the state, including state institutions of education;
(b) a federal entity or agency; or
(c) a tribal government.
(7) "Legal product" means a product for which possession generally, or by the person alleged to be causing the public nuisance, is not specifically prohibited by federal or state law.
(8) "Manufacturing facility" means a factory, plant, or other facility including its appurtenances, where the form of raw materials, processed materials, commodities, or other physical objects is converted or otherwise changed into other materials, commodities, or physical objects or where such materials, commodities, or physical objects are combined to form a new material, commodity, or physical object.
(9) "Possession or use" means the joint or individual ownership, control, occupancy, holding, retaining, belonging, maintaining, or the application, inhalation, swallowing, injection, or consumption, as distinguished from distribution, of a controlled substance, and includes individual, joint, or group possession or use of a controlled substance.
(10) (a) "Private nuisance" means a condition arising out of the use of real property that:
(i) is injurious to health or safety, or is indecent or offensive to the senses, of an individual on an adjacent or neighboring property; or
(ii) obstructs the free use of an adjacent or neighboring property so as to interfere with the comfortable enjoyment of life or property.
(b) "Private nuisance" includes a condition that is:
(i) gambling as provided in Title 76, Chapter 9, Part 14, Gambling;
(ii) criminal activity committed in concert with two or more individuals as provided in Section 76-3-203.1;
(iii) criminal activity committed for the benefit of, at the direction of, or in association with any criminal street gang as defined in Section 76-9-802;
(iv) criminal activity committed to gain recognition, acceptance, membership, or increased status with a criminal street gang as defined in Section 76-9-802;
(v) a party house that frequently creates a condition described in Subsection (10)(a);
(vi) prostitution as provided in Title 76, Chapter 5d, Prostitution;
(vii) an unsafe building or place;
(viii) the unlawful discharge of a firearm as provided in state or local law;
(ix) a drug nuisance; or
(x) a tobacco nuisance.
(c) "Private nuisance" does not include:
(i) a public nuisance;
(ii) an action or condition that is lawful; or
(iii) an action or condition that is authorized, approved, licensed, or mandated by statute, ordinance, regulation, permit, license, order, rule, or other similar measure issued, adopted, promulgated, or approved by a government entity.
(11) (a) "Public nuisance" means:
(i) a condition arising out of the use of real property that unlawfully interferes with a public right by endangering community safety, being indecent to the community, or being offensive to the community; or
(ii) a condition that unlawfully interferes with the public right to free passage or use, in the customary manner, of a navigable lake, river, bay, stream, canal, or basin or a public park, square, street, road, or highway.
(b) "Public nuisance" does not include:
(i) an action or condition that is lawful;
(ii) an action or condition that is authorized, approved, licensed, or mandated by statute, ordinance, regulation, permit, license, order, rule, or other similar measure issued, adopted, promulgated, or approved by a government entity;
(iii) impairment of the spiritual, cultural, or emotional significance associated with a navigable lake, river, bay, stream, canal, or basin or a public park, square, street, road, or highway;
(iv) the design, manufacturing, distributing, selling, labeling, or marketing of a legal product;
(v) the aggregation of individual injuries or private rights, including a private nuisance; or
(vi) the design, manufacturing, distributing, selling, labeling, or marketing of firearms, firearm accessories, or ammunition, as defined in Section 53-5d-102, or components of firearms, firearm accessories, or ammunition.
(12) "Residential unit" does not include:
(a) a residential rental unit available for temporary rental, such as for a vacation, or available for only 30 or fewer days at a time;
(b) a hotel or motel room; or
(c) a unit that is part of a timeshare development, as defined in Section 57-19-2, or subject to a timeshare interest as defined in Section 57-19-2.
(13) "Shooting range" means the same as that term is defined in Section 53-5a-701.
(14) "Tobacco or illegal substance nuisance" means tobacco smoke that drifts into a residential unit a person rents, leases, or owns, from another residential or commercial unit and the smoke:
(a) drifts in more than once in each of two or more consecutive seven-day periods; and
(b) creates a condition described in Subsection (10)(a).
(15) (a) "Unlawfully interferes" means a condition that violates a statute, ordinance, regulation, permit, license, order, rule, or other similar measure issued, adopted, promulgated, or approved by a government entity.
(b) "Unlawfully interferes" includes any statute, ordinance, regulation, permit, license, order, rule, or other similar measure issued, adopted, promulgated, or approved by a government entity before, on, or after May 6, 2026.
(16) "Unsafe building or place" means a building or place where:
(a) the unlawful sale, manufacture, service, storage, distribution, dispensing, acquisition, or use occurs of any controlled substance, precursor, or analog described in Title 58, Chapter 37, Controlled Substances;
(b) gambling is permitted to be played, conducted, or dealt upon as prohibited in Title 76, Chapter 9, Part 14, Gambling, which creates a condition described in Subsection (10)(a);
(c) criminal activity is committed in concert with two or more individuals as described in Section 76-3-203.1;
(d) criminal activity is committed for the benefit of, at the direction of, or in association with any criminal street gang as defined in Section 76-9-802;
(e) criminal activity is committed to gain recognition, acceptance, membership, or increased status with a criminal street gang as defined in Section 76-9-802;
(f) parties occur frequently that creates a condition described in Subsection (10)(a);
(g) prostitution or promotion of prostitution is regularly carried on by one or more persons as described in Title 76, Chapter 5d, Prostitution;
(h) a violation of an offense under Title 76, Chapter 11, Weapons, occurs on the premises;
(i) the unlawful discharge of a firearm, as provided in state or local law, occurs on the premises; or
(j) human trafficking occurs as described in Title 76, Chapter 5, Part 3, Kidnapping, Trafficking, and Smuggling.
Source: Legislative text reproduced verbatim
Plain English

Utah Code Ann. §§ 78B-6a-101, 78B-6a-103, 78B-6a-302 to -304, 78B-6a-405 establishes the foundational vocabulary for Utah's nuisance law chapter. It defines key terms—including 'private nuisance,' 'public nuisance,' 'drug nuisance,' 'tobacco or illegal substance nuisance,' and 'unsafe building or place'—that determine when a property use or condition may be subject to legal action. Notably, lawful activities and those authorized by government permit or regulation are generally excluded from the definitions of both private and public nuisance. The definitions also clarify which types of residential units, such as short-term vacation rentals and hotel rooms, fall outside the chapter's scope.

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

Plain English — not legal advice.

For Property Managers

Property owners and managers operating under Utah Code Ann. §§ 78B-6a-101 et seq. benefit from understanding how these definitions shape their exposure to nuisance claims. Compliant operators generally ensure that conditions on their properties—such as drug activity, recurring tobacco smoke drifting between units, frequent disruptive parties, or criminal gang activity—do not meet the statutory definitions of 'private nuisance' or 'unsafe building or place.' Because lawful, government-authorized activities are expressly excluded from nuisance definitions, operators who maintain proper permits and comply with applicable regulations occupy a more defensible position under this chapter. Operators of short-term rentals of 30 days or fewer should note that such units are excluded from the definition of 'residential unit' under this provision.

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

For Tenants

Tenants renting long-term residential units may find protection under Utah Code Ann. §§ 78B-6a-101 et seq. when conditions such as drug fumes or recurring tobacco smoke drift into their unit from another unit, as these are specifically defined as nuisances under this chapter. The definitions of 'drug nuisance' and 'tobacco or illegal substance nuisance' set thresholds—such as smoke drifting in more than once across two or more consecutive seven-day periods—that help determine whether a condition qualifies for legal relief. Tenants who believe a qualifying nuisance condition exists may consider documenting incidents, raising the relevant statutory definitions in communications with their landlord, or consulting a tenant-rights organization familiar with Utah nuisance law for general information about available remedies.

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

Utah Code § 78B-4-512
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Utah Code § 17-81
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Utah Code § 17-81-101
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Utah Code § 58-37-101
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Utah Code § 10-20-701
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Utah Code § 76-9
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Utah Code § 76-3-203.1
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Utah Code § 76-9-802
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Utah Code § 76-5d
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Utah Code § 53-5d-102
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Utah Code § 57-19-2
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Utah Code § 53-5a-701
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Utah Code § 58-37
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Utah Code § 76-11
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Utah Code § 76-5
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References In

Rules and statutes that cite this regulation

Utah Code § 78B-6a-303
Utah Code § 78B-6a-303
Utah Code § 78B-6a-303
Utah Code § 78B-6a-303
Utah Code § 78B-6a-303
Utah Code § 78B-6a-103
Utah Code § 78B-6a-302

Related Rules

§ 151.20
TEMPORARY EVICTION CONTROLS AND RENT REDUCTIONS FOR MOBILE HOMES DAMAGED IN THE JANUARY, 1994 EARTHQUAKE
§ 1
Definitions
§ 2
Eviction of tenants prohibited; exceptions

Source Information

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Fetched:Oct 16, 2026, 09:55 AM UTC