Items and page numbers in italics refer to the text in boxes on the corresponding page. Chapter 1: The Story So Far 1 Tenants Begin to Organize...1 The City Finally Responds to the Crisis...1 Condo Conversions Soared Along With Rent Increases...2 The High Tech and Housing Bubbles Hit...2 The Great Recession...3 San Francisco Renters Fight Back...3 Chapter 2: Understanding Landlording 5 Landlord Types...5 Big vs. Small...6 Professional vs. Amateur...6 Absentee vs. Landlord-Occupant...6 Old/Long-Term Investor vs. New/Short-Term Speculator Ownership...7 How Landlords Make Money...7 Equity...7 Appreciation and Speculation...8 Rental Income...9 Tax Advantages...9 Chapter 3: Researching Landlords, Buildings, and Laws 11 Landlord and Building Information... 11 Department of Building Inspection... 11 Department of Planning... 11 Department of Public Health... 11 Assessor and Recorder... 11 Rent Board... 12 Additional Online Information... 13 Court Records... 13 Superior Court Limited Jurisdiction... 13 Superior Court Unlimited Jurisdiction... 13 Small Claims Court... 14 Laws... 14 Law Libraries... 14 Law Books... 14 Laws on the Web... 14 Chapter 4: Renting Basics 15 Protections for the Tenant Under the San Francisco Rent Ordinance and State Law... 15 What Does the Rent Ordinance Cover?... 15 Subsidized Housing... 16 Residential Hotels... 16 Certificate of Occupancy Date... 17 Government-Assisted Housing... 17 Transient Housing... 17 Substantially Rehabilitated Housing... 17 Unusual Residences... 17 Sharing Rental Unit With Landlord... 17 vi Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act Exception for Rent Ordinance... 18 To Sum Up: Are You Covered by the Rent Ordinance?... 18 Landlord s Duty of Habitability... 19 Tenant s Duty of Habitability... 19 Leases and Rental Agreements... 20 Leases vs. Month-to-Month Rental Agreements... 20 Oral vs. Written Rental Agreements... 21 Requirements and Protections in Rental Agreements... 21 Rights That CANNOT Be Signed Away... 22 Rights That CAN Be Signed Away... 22 Other Undesirable Rental Agreement Clauses... 23 Late Charge... 23 Overnight Guest and Pet Restrictions... 23 Merger Clause... 23 House Rules... 23 Posting and Distributing of Information by Tenant... 23 Desirable Clause in Rental Agreement... 24 Attorney s Fees for Landlord... 24 Paying Rent... 24 Waiver of Breach of Rental Agreement by Landlord... 24 Breaking a Lease... 25 Examples of Letters for Moving Out... 26 Notices and Other Communications Between Landlord and Tenant... 26 Sale of Building... 27 Estoppel Agreement or Rental Questionnaire: Should I Sign It?... 28 Rental Agreement for New Landlord... 28 Special Rental Situations... 29 Foreclosure by a Bank... 29 Foreclosure Process... 29 Resident Managers... 31 Working for Your Landlord... 32 Live/Work Rental Units... 32 Squatting... 32 Chapter 5: Security Deposits 34 Application Screening Fee... 34 Holding Deposits... 34 Destruction of Rental Unit... 34 Use of Security Deposits... 34 Sale of Building and Security Deposits... 35 Preventive Medicine... 35 Moving Out... 35 Move-In/Move-Out Checklist... 36 Sample Letter for Return of Security Deposit... 37 Suing for Refund... 38 Interest on Deposits... 38 Rent Board Fee... 39 Increases in Deposits After the Tenancy Begins... 40 Last Month s Rent Deducted from Security Deposit... 40
Partial Refund as Payment in Full... 40 Chapter 6: Repairs and Services 41 Obligations of the Landlord... 41 Construction Requirements... 41 Windows and Doors... 41 Earthquake Retrofit... 42 Types of Buildings that Require Retrofit... 42 Compensation... 42 Communication Devices... 42 Telephone... 42 Toilet... 42 Contractor... 42 Health Requirements in Addition to Construction Requirements... 43 Lead, Mold, Filth, and Pest Nuisances... 43 Bed Bugs... 43 Detecting Bed Bugs Using Bed Bug Monitors... 44 Air Quality (Besides Nuisances) and Fire Hazards... 43 Smoke Detectors... 46 Fire Extinguishers... 46 Carbon Monoxide Detectors... 46 Disclosure Requirements... 46 Security... 47 Additional Rights... 47 Quiet Possession... 48 Roommates... 48 Utilities... 48 Shared... 48 Submetered Water... 48 Write the Landlord a Letter First... 48 Example of Letter Requesting Repairs... 49 Department of Building Inspection... 49 Department of Building Inspection Notice of Violation... 50 San Francisco Housing Code Enforcement Overview... 51 Don t Call DBI If You Live in an Unauthorized Unit!... 52 Petitions for Lack of Services... 52 Decrease in Housing Services Petitions... 52 Petition for Decrease in Housing Services... 54 Parking and Storage Services... 55 Failure to Repair and Maintain Petitions... 55 Preparation for Decrease in Housing Services and Failure to Repair and Maintain Hearings... 56 Suing Your Landlord... 56 Repair and Deduct... 57 Example of Letters for Repair and Deduct... 57 Illegal Rent... 58 Rent Strikes... 58 NOTICE OF RENT WITHHOLDING... 59 Caution with Rent Withholding!... 60 Retaliation Is Illegal... 60 Prosecute Your Landlord... 61 Constructive Eviction... 61 Heating Requirements... 61 Mold... 62 Basic Facts About Mold... 62 Medical Impact of Mold... 63 Testing for Mold... 63 Removing Mold Problems... 64 Compensation for Mold Problems... 65 Lead Paint and Lead Hazards... 65 Childhood Lead Poisoning... 65 Does My Home Have Lead Hazards?... 65 Removing Lead Paint Hazards... 66 Unauthorized Units and Lead Removal... 67 WARNING! Don t Try to Abate Lead Yourself!... 67 Asbestos and Other Chemicals Causing Cancer or Reproductive Toxicity... 68 Cosmetic Repairs... 69 Fire or Other Disaster... 69 Chapter 7: Rent Increases 71 Rent Increases under California Law... 71 Vacancy Control... 71 Rent Increases under San Francisco Rent Control... 71 Rent Increases Not Requiring Approval of the Rent Board Annual Rent Increases... 71 Banking Past Annual Rent Increases... 72 Expiration of Good Samaritan Occupancy Status... 73 General Obligation Bond Passthroughs... 73 Water Passthroughs... 74 Water Revenue Bond Passthrough... 74 Water Penalty Passthroughs... 74 Gas, Electricity or Steam Heat Passthroughs... 74 Original Tenant Moves Out... 75 Rent Board Fee... 75 Contesting Rent Increases Which Do Not Require Rent Board Approval... 75 Summary Petition for Unlawful Rent Increases... 76 Unlawful Rent Increase Petition... 76 Failure to Repair and Maintain Petition... 76 Passthrough Challenges by Petition... 77 Rent Increases Requiring Rent Board Approval... 77 Capital Improvements... 77 Hardship Exemption for Capital Improvement Passthroughs... 77 Defenses to Capital Improvement Passthroughs... 78 Passthrough Amounts for Capital Improvement... 78 Required Seismic and Code Work Capital Improvement Passthroughs...79 Energy Conservation Measures Capital Improvement Passthroughs...79 Calculating the Passthroughs for Capital Improvement.. 79 General Procedures for Capital Improvement Passthroughs... 80 Hearing for Capital Improvement Passthroughs... 81 Operating and Maintenance Expense Increase Passthroughs... 81 Hardship Exemption for Operating and Maintenance Expense Increase Passthroughs... 81 Hearing for Operating and Maintenance Expense Increase for Tenant...82 vii
viii Gas, Electricity or Steam Heat Passthroughs That Do Not Require Rent Board Approval... 82 Tenant Not in Occupancy (Rental Unit Is Not the Principal Residence)... 82 Miscellaneous Landlord Petitions... 82 Chapter 8: Harassment 83 Privacy and Landlord Entry... 83 Open Houses... 84 Prohibition on Illegal Landlord Acts to Influence a Tenant Move-Out... 84 Buyouts, Almost Always a Bad Idea... 85 Know Your Rights Before You Make Any Drastic Decisions!!... 85 Always Do the Math... 85 Insist that the Landlord Follow the Law... 85 Examples of Letters You Can Write to Your Landlord... 85 Never Waive Your Rights If the Landlord Does Not Move In or Remove the Unit (and the Entire Building) Under the Ellis Act from the Rental Market... 86 You Have the Right to Rescind Any Agreement within 45 Days of the Agreement... 86 Condo Conversion Prohibition... 86 Lockouts... 86 Utility Shutoffs... 87 Debt Collection... 88 Sexual Harassment... 88 Noise and Nuisance from a Neighbor... 89 Other Forms of Harassment by the Landlord... 90 Stopping These Types of Harassment... 90 Restraining Orders and Injunctions... 91 Example of a Letter About Harassment... 91 Example of a Temporary Restraining Order Complaint... 92 Chapter 9: Discrimination 93 What Is Discrimination?... 93 Who Is Protected?... 93 Federal, State, and Local Anti-Discrimination Laws... 93 More Information on Specific Characteristics Protected by Anti-Discrimination Statutes... 94 Disability... 94 Defining Disability... 94 Reasonable Accommodations and Modifications... 95 Personal Care Attendants... 97 People with AIDS/HIV... 97 Familial Status... 97 Height and Weight... 98 Income Source... 98 Age... 98 Sexual Orientation... 98 Marital Status... 98 Race... 99 Retaliation Protected Acts of the Tenant... 99 Sexual Discrimination... 99 Undocumented Immigrants... 99 What Can You Do?... 100 1. Documentation in Writing... 100 2. Report the Discrimination... 100 3. File a Lawsuit... 100 Chapter 10: Roommates 101 Types of Tenant-Landlord Relationships... 101 Roommates with Equal Rights... 101 Roommate(s) with a Master Tenant... 101 Subletting... 101 Rights of Subtenants with Master Tenants... 102 Roommate(s) Living with Owner... 104 Adding Non-Family Members... 104 Rules and Procedures for Adding Non-Family Occupants... 104 Adding Family Members... 105 Breaking Up... 107 What If There s Already a New Roommate?... 108 Changing Roommates... 109 Assignment of Rental Agreement to Another Tenant... 110 Rent Increase When Original Tenant Vacates... 110 Rent Increases under the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act... 111 Proving That a Rental Agreement Directly with the Landlord Exists... 111 Rules and Regulations 6.14... 112 Subtenants... 113 Co-Tenants (in Some Cases Also Known as Co-Occupants)... 113 Rules and Regulations 1.21... 113 Guests... 113 Model Roommate Agreement... 114 Chapter 11: Changes in Use 115 Loss of Rental Units... 115 Condominium Conversions... 115 Tenancies in Common (TICs)... 115 TIC Regulation... 115 Fighting Conversion to TIC... 116 Fighting the Sale of Your Home... 117 Condo Conversion Law... 118 What Building Types Can Be Converted into Condos... 118 Condo Conversions Require Lease Options... 118 Limit on Annual Conversion... 119 Condo Conversions Prohibited... 119 Conversions Not Allowed If Certain Evictions, Buyouts, Rent Increases, or Discrimination Preceded Application... 120 Lawsuit for Treble Damages (SF Subdivision Code 1304)... 121 Legal Action by the City Attorney or District Attorney 121 Rights in Condo Conversions When Tenants Remain in Unit... 121 Agreement of Tenants to Convert and Right to Purchase Unit... 121 Seniors or Permanently Disabled Have Right to Lifetime Lease for Condo Conversion... 121
Right to One-Year Lease and Relocation Payment for Tenants Not Senior or Permanently Disabled... 121 Expedited Conversion Bypass for Existing TICs... 122 Evictions after Condo Conversion... 122 Other Tenant Protections in the Condo Law... 123 Vacation and Corporate Guest Suite Rentals by the Landlord... 124 Airbnb, Home Exchanges, or Similar Uses by the Tenant... 125 Unauthorized Units... 125 Proposition M (1986): Priority General Plan Policies... 126 Demolition of a Single Rental Unit and Mergers... 126 Demolition of a Building... 127 Permit Process... 1277 Chapter 12: Eviction Defenses 129 What Is an Eviction? What Is Not an Eviction?... 129 What Is NOT an Eviction?... 129 What IS an Eviction?... 129 Illegal Reasons for Evictions... 130 Retaliation... 130 Discrimination... 130 Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, Stalking, Abuse of an Elder or Dependent Adult or Human Trafficking... 130 Servicemembers... 130 Tax Credit Units for Low-Income Housing... 130 San Francisco Rent Ordinance... 130 The Eviction Process Before Going to Court... 130 Notice to (Cure or) Quit... 130 Credit Reports and Tenant Screening Agencies... 131 Invalid Notices... 132 Sixty- and Thirty-Day Notices... 132 Other Notice Periods Besides Sixty/Thirty/Three... 132 Rent Board Reports of Alleged Wrongful Eviction... 133 Three-Day Notices... 134 Calculating the Notice Period... 134 Service of the Eviction Notice... 134 Acceptance of Rent May Waive Notice... 135 San Francisco Rent Ordinance Evictions... 135 Sixteen Just Causes for Eviction under the San Francisco Rent Ordinance... 136 Just Causes for Eviction... 136 Relocation Payment for Evictions... 137 Contesting the Just Cause for Eviction... 138 Fighting Fault Evictions... 138 Nonpayment of Rent... 138 When Is the Rent Due?... 138 Notice to Pay or Quit... 138 Unlawful Detainer Notice Example... 139 Defenses... 139 Refused Rent After Notice to Pay or Quit... 140 Habitability... 140 Unknown New Landlord... 140 Motive of Landlord Not Based on Overdue Rent... 140 Interest on Security Deposit Has Not Been Paid... 140 Debt Collectors... 140 Waiver of Notice... 141 Refused Rent... 141 Bounced Check Rent Payments... 141 Habitual Late Payment of Rent... 141 Breach (Violation) of Rental Agreement... 142 Definition... 142 Notice Period... 142 Disagreement with Allegation... 142 Waiver of Breach... 142 Curing (Fixing) the Breach... 143 Waiver, Estoppel, and Change of Agreement: Unenforced Rental Agreement Provisions as Defenses to an Eviction.. 143 Subletting or Assignment (Transfer of Rights to Another Occupant)... 144 Animals and Other Reasonable Accommodation... 144 Nuisance... 144 Waste (Destruction of Rental Unit)... 144 Illegal Use... 145 Working at Home... 145 Subletting... 145 Illegal Unit... 145 Marijuana and Secondhand Smoke... 145 Renewal of Rental Agreement Refused by Tenant... 146 Access for Landlord Denied... 146 Subtenant Holding Over Is Unapproved... 146 Fighting No-Fault Evictions... 147 Landlord Move-In (Owner Move-In)... 147 Protected Tenants for LMI... 147 Senior, Disabled, and Dying Tenants... 147 Children... 148 School Workers... 148 Other Restrictions for LMI... 148 One Eviction per Building Except for Close Relatives of Landlord...148 Relatives of Landlord Living in Building Who Qualify for Additional LMI...148 Same Unit for Future LMIs... 148 Procedural Requirements for LMI... 149 Ownership... 149 Eviction Notice for Tenant... 149 Disclosure to Tenant... 149 Relocation Payment... 150 Vacant Units Available... 150 Disclosure to Rent Board... 150 Occupancy by Landlord... 150 Re-Rental Restrictions... 151 Is the Landlord Evicting in Good Faith for LMI?... 151 Procedural Defenses for LMI... 151 Housing Assistance After LMI... 152 Ellis Act... 152 Ellis Eviction Threat... 152 Fighting an Ellis Eviction... 152 Organize the Building to Fight an Ellis Eviction... 152 Inform Landlord of Restrictions on Ellised Property... 152 Public Pressure for Fighting an Ellis Eviction... 153 Procedural Defenses for an Ellis Eviction... 153 ix
x Procedural Requirements for an Ellis Eviction... 153 Relocation Payments for an Ellis Eviction... 155 Ellis and LMI Comparison Chart... 154 Housing Assistance After Ellis Eviction... 155 Return at Same Rent If Re-Rented After Ellis Eviction... 155 Re-Rent to New Tenant at Same Rent After Ellis Eviction... 156 Capital Improvement Evictions... 156 Relocation Payment for Capital Improvement Eviction. 157 Households with Children or School Workers Protections from Capital Improvement Evictions... 157 Lead Abatement Evictions... 157 Demolition Evictions... 158 Removing a Unit from All Housing Use... 158 Development Agreement with the City of San Francisco 159 Condo Conversion for Sale Evictions... 159 Substantial Rehabilitation Evictions... 159 Good Samaritan Occupancy Status Termination... 159 Chapter 13: Eviction Process in Court 160 Summary of the Eviction Process... 160 Eviction Lawsuit Is Filed... 160 Bypassing the Courts: Lodgers and Hotels... 160 Summons and Complaint... 160 Unlawful Detainer Procedures & Time Chart... 161 Notice of the Unlawful Detainer from the Court... 162 Serving the Summons and Complaint... 162 Responding to a Summons and Complaint:... 162 Beware the Time Limit!... 162 Motions and Answers... 163 Unlawful Detainer Procedural Defenses... 163 Motions Procedural Defenses... 163 Motion to Quash... 163 Demurrer... 164 Motion to Strike... 164 Discovery... 164 The Answer... 164 Affirmative Defenses... 165 Breach of the Implied Warranty of Habitability... 165 Retaliation... 165 Discrimination... 165 Waiver or Cancellation of Landlord s Notice... 166 Landlord s Failure to Perform Obligations under the Rental Agreement... 166 Landlord s Refusal to Accept Rent... 166 Landlord s Failure to Credit Tenant for Costs of Necessary Repairs Properly Deducted from Rent... 166 The Unit Is Covered by the San Francisco Rent Ordinance and the Landlord Is Evicting the Tenant Without Just Cause as Required under the Ordinance... 166 Filing Fees... 166 Eviction Timelines... 166 Trial... 167 Why Fight?... 168 Negotiate or Fight to the End? Decide What You Want to Do... 168 After the Trial?... 169 Tenant Wins... 169 Landlord Wins... 170 Relief from Forfeiture... 170 Sheriff Comes... 170 Watch for Evidence of Wrongful Eviction... 170 Chapter 14: Taking Action 171 Individual Action... 171 Read This Book... 171 Write Letters... 171 Alternative Dispute Resolution... 172 Petition the Rent Board... 172 Mediation Before Arbitration at the Rent Board... 173 Bureaucracies... 173 The Hearing Process... 174 Expedited Hearing Process... 175 Preparing for a Hearing... 176 Presenting Your Case at the Hearing... 177 Conduct of Arbitration Hearings... 177 Appealing Decisions to the Rent Board Commission... 178 Hardship Appeal at Tenant s Request... 178 Hardship Appeal at Landlord s Request... 179 Protest... 179 Building Permits Can Be Blocked... 179 Direct Action... 179 Sue Your Landlord... 179 Do You Have a Case?... 180 When Can You Sue Your Landlord?... 182 What Court Should You Use?... 182 Withhold Rent... 183 Prosecute Your Landlord... 183 More Tactics...183 Building-Wide Collective Action... 184 Starting a Tenants Union... 184 Neighborhood or Citywide Action... 185 Appendix A: Resources 186 Non-Governmental Agencies in San Francisco... 186 Governmental Agencies... 193 United States... 193 California... 193 San Francisco... 194 Resources Outside of San Francisco... 198 Appendix B: List of Changes 201 Appendix C: San Francisco Law and Regulations Excerpts 208 Appendix D: California Law Excerpts 276 Appendix E: Table of Statutes, Regulations, and Cases 322 Index 323