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Redirected and archived: Find out if San Francisco's rental laws apply to you
The San Francisco Rent Ordinance offers eviction and rent control protections for most tenants. Learn about the law and what it means for you as a tenant or landlord.
Who's covered
Full protection
Under the law, tenants in most residential units in San Francisco have eviction protection and rent control protection.
This means that a landlord:
- May only evict the tenant if the landlord has “just cause”
- May only increase the tenant’s rent by a certain percentage each year
Partial protection
Tenants in the following units have eviction protections, but do not have rent control protections:
- Units built after June 13, 1979
- Most single-family homes and condominiums if the tenancy began on or after Jan 1, 1996
- Units that have undergone substantial rehabilitation
- Some units whose rents are controlled or regulated by another government unit or agency
To find out when your building was built, search your address on the Property Information Map.
No protection
Tenants in the following units are not covered by local eviction or rent control protections:
- Commercial units
- Student dorms, monasteries, tourist hotels, boarding houses, and extended-care facilities
- Some units whose rents are controlled or regulated by another government unit or agency
- Units on federal land (Treasure Island, the Presidio Trust)
- Units in nonprofit cooperatives or units owned by a nonprofit public benefit corporation
- A limited number of additional units described here.
Eviction protections
If a tenant has eviction protections, the landlord may only evict the tenant if they have a "just cause" reason.
A landlord may have just cause if:
- The tenant fails to pay rent or is often late with payment
- The tenant breaks the terms of their rental agreement or uses the rental unit for an illegal reason
- The tenant interferes with others' comfort, safety, or enjoyment of the building
- The landlord plans to move into the unit or move an immediate family member in
- The landlord plans to convert the unit into a condo and sell it
- The landlord plans to perform work to improve the unit that will make the unit unlivable during construction (the tenant must be allowed to reoccupy the unit immediately after the work is completed)
- The landlord plans to remove all rental units in a building from the rental market under the state Ellis Act
Learn more about evictions.
Rent control
If a tenant has rent control protection, the landlord can only increase the tenant's rent by a certain percentage each year.
In some cases, a landlord may need to raise rent by more than the allowed amount. They must file a landlord petition before giving tenants notice. In other cases, a tenant may want to dispute a rent increase or request a rent reduction by filing a tenant petition.
We will review either petition and resolve the matter through a hearing or mediation.
The California Tenant Protection Act
Even if a unit is not covered by San Francisco's eviction or rent control laws, the California Tenant Protection Act (a California State law) may provide the tenants some protections. Please note that the Rent Board cannot enforce State law and does not conduct hearings on disputes concerning the California Tenant Protection Act.
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