Garden City, UT short-term rental license
Garden City licenses short-term rentals in every zone, unless a homeowners association bans them. Your emergency contact must live within 15 minutes of the property. Code enforcement expects that person to reply within 30 minutes.[5]
Every rule below links to the official source it comes from, verified October 2, 2026.
Can you rent short term in Garden City?
Get a license first
What you apply for: Short-term rental license
- Seasonal homes
- 872
- Housing units
- 1,193
- Residents
- 608
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 ACS 5-year estimates
- City ruleLicense required
- City feeNone published
- Tax on each staySet locally
- Seasonal homes731 per 1,000
Garden City short-term rental license
To rent a Garden City dwelling for less than 30 days, you need a short-term rental license. New applications are accepted only from January 1 to April 30 each year. The file includes a site plan, a floor plan and proof of insurance for each unit. A building inspection comes before approval. Occupancy is capped at two people per 100 square feet of sleeping area. The license must be renewed by December 31.[5]
What Garden City asks of you
Section 8-601 defines a short-term rental as renting a dwelling unit, or part of one, for less than 30 days to a single person.[5]
The town accepts new license applications only from January 1 to April 30 of each year.[5]
Short-term rentals are allowed in all zones. A homeowners association that bans them sends the town a letter and the CC&Rs proving it.[5]
The application includes proof of ownership, a site plan with parking and a floor plan. It also needs proof of insurance and liability coverage.[5]
A sleeping area needs at least 100 square feet, with proper exits, ceiling height and windows.[5]
Occupancy may not exceed two people per 100 square feet of sleeping area, children under three not counted.[5]
One parking space of at least 10 by 24 feet is required for every four occupants. All vehicles and trailers park on the property.[5]
Guests receive the town's rules within 10 days of booking. The rules are also displayed in the unit, with a notice near the front door.[5]
The license lasts up to one year and must be renewed by December 31. A license not renewed by then is revoked.[5]
A buyer may get a temporary permit to honor existing bookings through December 31. A full license then waits for the next application window.[5]
A first violation brings a written warning. A third within 12 months brings a fine and a 24-month revocation.[5]
Renting without a license brings a civil fine set by council resolution. The owner then cannot get a license for 24 months.[5]
Hotels, motels and campgrounds holding a lodging business license are exempt, as are some single-owner condominium buildings.[5]
What Utah asks wherever you host
These rules apply at this address whatever the city decides.
Under Utah Code § 10-8-85.4, a city may make you get a business license or permit first. It may not punish you merely for advertising the home online.[1]
Lodging rented for less than 30 consecutive days owes the state sales tax of 4.85%, made of 4.70% and 0.15%. Local sales taxes come on top.[2]
The State Transient Room Tax Act charges 1.07% on the same stays, a 0.32% rate plus a 0.75% rate. Stays in a county of the first class owe another 0.25%.[3]
Marketplace facilitators such as Airbnb collect both the sales tax and the room taxes on stays they book. Hosts who also take direct bookings register both accounts on form TC-69.[4]
What a guest pays on top of your nightly rate in Garden City
Each layer is set by a different authority, and not all of them are collected by the platform.
| Layer | Rate | Remitted to |
|---|---|---|
| Utah state sales tax[2] | 4.85% | The state revenue department |
| Utah state transient room tax[3] | 1.07% | The state revenue department |
| Rich County transient room tax[6] | Not published | The county |
| Garden City resort communities tax[5] | Not published | The city |
| Garden City transient room tax[5] | 1% | The city |
Section 8-603 asks for documentation that room and sales taxes are being paid to the Town of Garden City, in the ordinance's words. Renewal requires proof the taxes were paid.[5]
Airbnb taxes for hostsWhat the census counts
How much of Garden City is already a second home
The Census Bureau counts 872 of Garden City's 1,193 homes as vacant for seasonal, recreational or occasional use. That is 731 out of every 1,000. It ranks Garden City 3rd of the 5 Utah cities on this site for the share of its housing stock kept for part-year use.
- Rank in the state
- 3rd of 5
- Share of housing
- 731 per 1,000
- Median home value
- $654,900
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 ACS 5-year estimates, tables B25004, B25001, B01003 and B25077.
Nearby and comparable
Where Garden City sits among its neighbors
Brian Head, UT
License required
849 seasonal homes, 766 per 1,000 housing units.
Brian Head short-term rental rulesSalt Lake City, UT
License required
1,433 seasonal homes, 14 per 1,000 housing units.
Salt Lake City short-term rental rulesPark City, UT
Allowed by zone
4,232 seasonal homes, 486 per 1,000 housing units.
Park City short-term rental rulesFAQ
Garden City short-term rental questions
When can I apply for a Garden City short-term rental license?
How many guests can a Garden City short-term rental take?
Which county room tax applies in Garden City?
Sources
- Utah Code Section 10-8-85.4, ordinances regarding short-term rentals (effective November 6, 2025), Utah State Legislature, read on October 2, 2026
- Utah Code Section 59-12-103, sales and use tax base and rates, Utah State Legislature, read on October 2, 2026
- Utah Code Sections 59-28-102 and 59-28-103, State Transient Room Tax Act, Utah State Legislature, read on October 2, 2026
- Transient Room Taxes, Utah State Tax Commission, read on October 2, 2026
- Municipal Ordinances, chapters 5-300, 5-400 and 8-600 (updated June 24, 2026), Town of Garden City, read on October 2, 2026
- Short Term Rentals, Town of Garden City, read on October 2, 2026
This page is not legal advice. It summarizes the official sources listed on this page as they read on October 2, 2026. Rules can change after that date, so check with the issuing office before you apply or publish a listing.
Before you list
Free tools for new hosts
Short-term rental agreement generator
Parties, dates, rent, deposit checked against your state's cap, and the house rules clauses you enforce. A signed-ready PDF for direct and Vrbo bookings.
Airbnb host fee calculator
What Airbnb takes on a booking under the 15.5% host-only fee or the old split fee, what the guest pays on top, and the payout that reaches you.
Airbnb house rules
Generate a complete PDF house rules document for your property: rules, schedule, amenities, emergency contacts.
Check-in instructions
The message a guest reads before getting in: access, keys, WiFi, parking, contact. English or bilingual output.