TL;DR
SF rent control covers most pre-1979 units under the Rent Stabilization Ordinance, administered by the SF Rent Board. Costa-Hawkins exempts post-1995 construction, SFRs, and individual condos from rent control but not from SF's just-cause framework. Wrongful eviction claims carry treble damages and attorney's fees. OMI requires Rent Board petition + recorded affidavit + the highest relocation payments in the state.
What the SF Rent Board controls
The Rent Board administers the Rent Stabilization and Arbitration Ordinance. Its jurisdiction:
- Annual allowable increase — set as a percentage of CPI, published each year. Verify the current allowable at the Rent Board website before serving any notice.
- Banked increases — landlords can defer allowable increases and accumulate them for later. Strict procedural rules apply.
- Capital improvement passthroughs — eligible improvements can be passed through with Rent Board approval.
- Petitions — tenants can petition for decreased services; landlords can petition for hardship-based exceptions.
- Wrongful eviction complaints — administrative claims that parallel civil actions.
Costa-Hawkins — what SF rent control doesn't reach
Costa-Hawkins is the state statute that limits what local rent control can do. In SF that means:
- Post-1979 construction (Costa-Hawkins line)
- Single-family rentals
- Condos sold individually to individual buyers
- Vacancy decontrol — rent on a new tenancy can be set at market when the prior tenant moves out
"Not under rent control" does not mean "outside SF tenant protections." Just-cause eviction rules and the Wrongful Eviction Ordinance reach most of these units anyway.
The Wrongful Eviction Ordinance — civil exposure
SF's Wrongful Eviction Ordinance creates a private right of action against landlords who wrongfully attempt to terminate a tenancy. Conduct that triggers it includes formal eviction without a valid ground, frivolous notice service, unlawful entry patterns, service reductions designed to drive a tenant out, threats, and retaliation. Remedies include treble damages, statutory damages, mandatory attorney's fees, and rent restoration. Pattern claims compound across affected tenants.
Owner move-in in SF is its own project
SF OMI requires a Rent Board petition, a recorded affidavit, extended notice periods (longer for senior, disabled, and long-term tenants), relocation payments that scale by tenure and household composition, and ongoing post-eviction monitoring. SB 567's 90-day/12-month rules apply on top. Wrongful OMI in SF routinely produces six-figure civil judgments.
The Mayor's Office of Housing and DBI
The Department of Building Inspection enforces habitability standards aggressively; SF DBI has authority to order relocation at landlord expense for severe violations and to refer chronic violators to the city attorney. The Mayor's Office of Housing oversees affordable-housing compliance for any unit with deed restrictions or subsidy involvement.
Practical takeaways for an SF owner
- Before any termination, verify the unit's Rent Board status and the applicable just-cause ground.
- Before any rent increase, verify the current Rent Board allowable percentage and any banked increase history.
- Document every interaction with tenants in writing — SF Wrongful Eviction claims often turn on whether the conduct fits the ordinance's pattern definitions.
- Treat OMI as a year-long planning project, not a 30-day notice exercise.
- Keep DBI inspection records organized — SF DBI's enforcement posture rewards documentation and punishes silence.
Common questions — SF landlord laws
What units are covered by SF rent control?
Most pre-June 13, 1979 residential rentals. Post-1979 construction, single-family homes, and individually-owned condos are exempt under Costa-Hawkins, but most remain subject to SF's just-cause eviction rules and the Wrongful Eviction Ordinance.
What does the SF Rent Board do?
Administers the rent control ordinance, sets the annual allowable percentage, hears tenant and landlord petitions, processes wrongful-eviction complaints, and authorizes capital-improvement passthroughs. Decisions are administrative but enforceable in Superior Court.
What does Costa-Hawkins exempt?
Post-1995 construction (or post-1979 for SF specifically under the local ordinance line), single-family homes, and individually-owned condos — plus vacancy decontrol when a tenant moves out and a new tenancy starts.
What does the Wrongful Eviction Ordinance cover?
A long list of conduct beyond formal eviction: frivolous notices, unlawful entry patterns, service reductions, threats, retaliation. Remedies include treble damages, statutory damages, mandatory attorney's fees, and rent restoration.
Is OMI even practical in SF?
Practical but expensive and slow. Requires Rent Board petition, recorded affidavit, extended notice periods for vulnerable tenants, scaling relocation payments, and ongoing post-eviction occupancy verification. SB 567 layers on top.
CA Landlord Laws