attorney for San Francisco renters

An Overview of San Francisco’s Rent Control Ordinance

January 18, 2019 | Gregory J. Brod

If you rent your home in the San Francisco area, you most likely are aware of San Francisco’s Rent Control Ordinance. Even if you currently rent or you are thinking of coming to the area and renting, there are many specifics of the ordinance you may not know about. Consider the following when looking for a new place to live or if you feel like your current landlord is not following the law.

What Does the Ordinance do?

The San Francisco Rent Ordinance provides a number of protections to tenants who rent or lease a dwelling. First and perhaps foremost, the law regulates the amount that rent can be increased annually for specific dwellings in specific situations. To this end, the law also allows only a certain amount of capital improvement costs to be passed on to the tenant by the landlord. It also allows the tenant to petition the Rent Board for a decrease in rent if the landlord has failed to provide services that have been agreed upon or that are required by law. This includes if the landlord has not maintained the premises in a habitable manner or if unit has uncorrected housing code violations. Secondly, the law regulates the circumstances under which a tenant may be evicted.

Santa Monica Rent Control Board Announces $40 Adjustment Cap

June 14, 2017 | Gregory J. Brod

In June, the City of Santa Monica’s Rent Control Board announced its 2017 general adjustment (GA) cap. This year, landlords cannot raise rent for rent controlled units by more than 2%, with a maximum increase of $40. This applies to all maximum allowable rents of $1,975 or higher.

The Rent Control Board sets the yearly GA based on 75% of the annual change in the Consumer Price Index for the greater Los Angeles Area, which was 2.7%. The Board announced the 2% GA back in May, yet the Board voted to implement the $40 cap in July over concern about rising rents.

When Santa Monica’s GA May go into Effect

California Supreme Court Protects Tenants, Strengthens Rent Control

May 5, 2015 | Gregory J. Brod

“Almost no one is moving to San Francisco to save money.” We love our region, but the opening line in recent Associated Press article, carried by U.S. News & World Report, is a truth Bay Area residents feel in their tightening wallets. Research by real estate data firm Zillow found that city rents jumped 15% over the past year with the average home rent hitting $3,129 in March. This cost makes tenant protections, including rent control, even more important, especially for long-term city residents. Our San Francisco tenants’ attorney is glad to share the news that the Supreme Court of California has helped strengthen those protections.

The Facts: Landlord Nearly Doubles Tenant’s Rent

As the San Francisco Chronicle reported, last Wednesday the state’s highest court unanimously declined to review a First District Court of Appeal decision handed down in January. In doing so, the court allows the appellate decision favoring a San Francisco tenant to stand. Brian Govender has lived at 999 First Street, close to Alamo Square, since November 2003. At the time, Govender was only 13 and not named in the lease. His parents moved out in August 2012 and owner Mosser Companies moved to raise the monthly rent from $1,681.75 to $3,295.