The law in plain English
Return deadline
Under Utah Code Sections 57-17-1 to 57-17-5, the deposit response usually has to be sent within 30 days of the move-out timeline described by the state rule.
Required notice
Utah generally does not impose a statewide deposit cap, and the landlord usually has 30 days to send the refund and itemized statement; if that deadline is missed, the tenant can send statutory notice and the landlord gets 5 more days to comply.
This dispute type
Painting deductions are usually weakest when the landlord is refreshing the unit for the next tenant, covering faded walls, or addressing minor marks from normal occupancy. In Utah, the refund deadline and deduction notice rules still apply even if the landlord claims the walls needed work.
Penalty leverage
If the withholding was wrongful or in bad faith, the exposure allowed under the statute is: Landlord forfeits the right to retain any portion; you can recover the full deposit amount plus a $100 civil penalty