Rental Property Rules in San Francisco, CA (2026)
10 verified rental property rules for San Francisco, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Rent Control
San Francisco's Rent Stabilization and Arbitration Ordinance (Administrative Code Chapter 37) applies to most rental units built before June 13, 1979. Annual rent increases are limited to a percentage set by the Rent Board, which was 1.4% for March 2025 through February 2026.
San Francisco Rent Ordinance
Heavy RestrictionsCalifornia Civil Code Sec. 1947.12 (Tenant Protection Act Rent Cap — 5% + CPI, Maximum 10%)
1947.12. (a) (1) Subject to subdivision (b), an owner of residential real property shall not, over the course of any 12-month period, increase the gross rental rate for a dwelling or a unit more than 5 percent plus the percentage change in the cost of living, or 10 percent, whichever is lower, of the lowest gross rental rate charged for that dwelling or unit at any time during the 12 months pri...
Just Cause Eviction
San Francisco's Rent Ordinance (Admin Code Chapter 37) requires landlords to have one of 16 legally recognized just causes to evict a tenant. This protection applies to nearly all rental units in the city, including those not subject to rent increase limits.
San Francisco Just Cause Eviction Protections
Heavy RestrictionsRental Registration
All landlords with units subject to the Rent Ordinance must register with the San Francisco Rent Board and pay an annual fee per unit. The fee funds the Rent Board's operations including dispute resolution, counseling, and enforcement.
San Francisco Rental Property Registration
Heavy RestrictionsCalifornia Civil Code Sec. 1947.12(k) (Rent Cap Enforcement — Treble Damages and Attorney's Fees)
1947.12. (e) An owner shall provide notice of any increase in the rental rate, pursuant to subdivision (a), to each tenant in accordance with Section 827... (k) (1) An owner who demands, accepts, receives, or retains any payment of rent in excess of the maximum rent allowed by this section shall be liable in a civil action to the tenant from whom those payments are demanded for all of the follo...
Relocation Assistance
Landlords pursuing no-fault evictions must pay statutory relocation assistance per tenant, with elderly, disabled, and minor occupants receiving enhanced amounts. The Rent Board updates dollar figures annually for inflation under Administrative Code Section 37.9C.
Mandatory Tenant Relocation Payments
Heavy RestrictionsCalifornia Civil Code Sec. 1946.2(d) (Relocation Assistance — One Month's Rent for No-Fault Evictions)
1946.2. (d) (1) For a tenancy for which just cause is required to terminate the tenancy under subdivision (a), if an owner of residential real property issues a termination notice based on a no-fault just cause described in paragraph (2) of subdivision (b), the owner shall, regardless of the tenant's income, at the owner's option, do one of the following: (A) Assist the tenant to relocate by pr...
Cash-for-Keys Agreements
San Francisco regulates landlord buyout offers under Section 37.9E. Landlords must give tenants a written rights disclosure, a 45-day rescission window, and file completed buyouts with the Rent Board. Unfiled buyouts are voidable for two years.
Buyout Agreement Disclosure and Cooling-Off
Some RestrictionsNo-Fault Evictions
San Francisco's Rent Ordinance lists a narrow set of no-fault eviction reasons including owner move-in, Ellis Act withdrawal, capital improvements, and substantial rehabilitation. Each category triggers relocation payments and strict noticing rules under Chapter 37.
Just-Cause No-Fault Eviction Categories
Heavy RestrictionsCalifornia Civil Code Sec. 1946.2 (Tenant Protection Act — Just Cause and No-Fault Eviction Grounds)
1946.2. (a) Notwithstanding any other law, after a tenant has continuously and lawfully occupied a residential real property for 12 months, the owner of the residential real property shall not terminate a tenancy without just cause, which shall be stated in the written notice to terminate tenancy... (b) (2) No-fault just cause, which means any of the following: (A) (i) Intent to occupy the resi...
Tenant Anti-Harassment
Section 37.10B of the Rent Ordinance prohibits 16 categories of landlord harassment including utility shutoffs, threats, false eviction notices, and abusing buyout offers. Tenants may sue for treble damages and statutory penalties up to $1,000 per offense.
Tenant Anti-Harassment Ordinance Protections
Heavy RestrictionsCalifornia Civil Code Sec. 1940.2 (Unlawful Landlord Conduct — Tenant Anti-Harassment, $2,000 Penalty)
1940.2. (a) It is unlawful for a landlord to do any of the following for the purpose of influencing a tenant to vacate a dwelling: (1) Engage in conduct that violates subdivision (a) of Section 484 of the Penal Code. (2) Engage in conduct that violates Section 518 of the Penal Code. (3) Use, or threaten to use, force, willful threats, or menacing conduct constituting a course of conduct that in...
Source-of-Income Discrimination
San Francisco's Police Code Section 3304 bars landlords from refusing rental applicants because their income comes from Section 8, VASH, or other government subsidies. Refusing vouchers is treated as discrimination by the SF Human Rights Commission.
Section 8 Voucher Source-of-Income Protection
Heavy RestrictionsCalifornia Government Code Sec. 12955 (FEHA — Source of Income Discrimination Prohibited, Including Section 8 Vouchers)
12955. It shall be unlawful: (a) For the owner of any housing accommodation to discriminate against or harass any person because of the race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, ancestry, familial status, source of income, disability, veteran or military status, or genetic information of that person... (p) (1) Fo...
AB-1482 Notice Disclosure
Units exempt from SF Chapter 37 rent control may still fall under California's AB 1482 statewide cap. Landlords must provide a written notice citing the 5% plus CPI cap or claim a statutory exemption such as single-family-home with corporate-ownership disclosure.
AB 1482 State-Law Rent Cap Notice
Some RestrictionsCalifornia Civil Code Sec. 1946.2(f) (AB 1482 Required Tenant Notice — Rent Cap and Just-Cause Disclosure)
1946.2. (f) An owner of residential real property subject to this section shall provide notice to the tenant as follows... (3) The notification or lease provision shall be in no less than 12-point type, and shall include the following: 'California law limits the amount your rent can be increased. See Section 1947.12 of the Civil Code for more information. California law also provides that after...
Eviction Moratorium History
San Francisco's COVID-era eviction moratorium under Ordinance 68-20 ended September 2022 but left lasting protections including back-rent repayment plans, no-fault eviction limits, and prohibitions on using pandemic arrears to break tenancies under Chapter 37.