There are many reasons why your particular rental unit may not have the benefits of rent control. It could be that your local authorities never enacted any type of rent control. Meaning it might not just be your building that is without rent increase limitations, it may be your entire…
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…
Despite what you might have heard, California does not have a statewide rent control provision. This leaves rent control up to cities or counties. If you live in a unit that is applicable to your local rent control ordinance, then you have a number of additional rights as a tenant…
San Francisco rental and housing costs have skyrocketed in recent years. The amount a landlord can get for a small unit has doubled or tripled compared to potential rent prices just a few years ago. This potential financial gain means it is often in the landlord’s best interests to have…
In early April, the Board of Supervisors introduced two new pieces of legislations both aimed at making it more difficult for landlords to wrongfully evict tenants. The legislation, introduced by Supervisor Mark Farrell and Supervisors Aaron Peskin and Jane Kim, was drafted after an NBC Bay Area Investigation found landlords…
With the current political climate in the U.S., it is becoming more important for states to protect immigrant and minority populations from harassment and discrimination. That is why California Assemblymember David Chiu (D-San Francisco), along with other California leaders, announced AB 291, known as the Immigrant Tenant Protection Act of…
There are certain circumstances under which if your landlord will not fix a problem in your rental unit, you have the right to take control of the situation, pay for the repair, and deduct the cost from your next month’s rent. However, this is only an option in limited circumstances…
Evictions, or when you are required by your landlord to leave your rental unit, can happen in multiple ways. Evictions based on fault occurs if you do not pay rent or break the lease in some other way. No-fault evictions occur when you receive notice to leave the premises even…
Has your landlord been harassing you or bothering you for no good reason? Harassment can make your life miserable, and may cause you a lot of unnecessary stress and anxiety. In San Francisco, as in other places, landlords are not allowed to bother their tenants. Laws prevent landlords from taking…
Tenants in the San Francisco area often wonder what they can do if their landlord fails to fix problems with their apartment. Landlords are responsible for providing a space that is livable. There are some things that tenants can do to resolve issues that are not being taken care of…