Rent Control - The San Francisco Rent Board administers rent control. You can download the rent control law, as well as other rules and regulations from the Rent Board Web Site.

The major components of SF rent control are:

• Landlords can only raise a tenant's rent by a set amount each year (see the Rent Board Web Site for the maximum allowable yearly increase)
• Tenants may petition the Rent Board to decrease their rent if the landlord fails to provide agreed upon or legally required services
• Tenants can only be evicted for one of 14 "just causes" (e.g. "owner move-in")

Rent Control Coverage San Francisco's rent control law covers most rental property in San Francisco. If you live in San Francisco, you are covered by rent control unless you fall into one of these major categories:

• You live in a building constructed after June of 1979.
• You live in subsidized housing, such as HUD housing projects.
• You live in a dormitory, monastery, nunnery, etc.
• You live in a residential hotel and have less than 28 days of continuous tenancy.

Some Units Have Limited Rent Control Coverage

Single Family Houses/Condominiums—Generally speaking, you do not have full rent control protection if you live in a single family house (a single family house with an illegal in-law unit counts as a 2 unit building) or a condominium (in which the condo you live in is the only condo owned by your landlord in the building) and you (and your roommates) moved in on or after January 1, 1996.

Although these units do not have limits on rent increases, they do have "just cause" eviction protection, meaning you can only be evicted for one of 14 just causes. Certain limited exceptions may apply, see the Rent Board Web Site for details.

Additional Rent Control Coverage

• "Illegal" units are covered by rent control, provided the building was constructed after June, 1979.
• Commercial spaces/Live-Work units in which tenants reside in a non-residential unit with the knowledge of the landlord are covered by rent control, provided the building was constructed after June, 1979 (even if the rental agreement says "commercial only," what counts is whether the landlord actually knows that people live there).
• Pursuant to 1994's Proposition I, 2-4 unit, landlord occupied buildings have full rent control protection.