San Francisco Tenant Rights and the Rent Board

San Francisco tenant rights come mainly from the city’s Rent Ordinance, Chapter 37 of the Administrative Code, which the San Francisco Rent Board administers. The ordinance does two jobs: it limits annual rent increases in older buildings, and it requires a just cause to evict in most rentals of any age. Where the city law does not limit your rent, the statewide cap in Civil Code 1947.12 may, as the AB 1482 rent cap guide explains.

Is my San Francisco unit covered by rent control?

The city’s guide to rental laws sorts units into three groups. It says: “Many residential units built on or before June 13, 1979 have both rent control and eviction protection.” It adds that a unit built before June 14, 1979 that is not used as a single-family dwelling may have both.

A condo or house is not automatically exempt from rent control. The date the tenant moved in decides it: tenants who moved in before January 1, 1996 may still be covered. If you are unsure, ask the Rent Board to confirm your unit’s status before you dispute an increase.

No city rent control? The state cap likely applies

A post-1979 San Francisco apartment usually has no city limit on increases. That does not make it uncapped. The state cap covers most housing whose certificate of occupancy is more than 15 years old. San Francisco is one of the five counties in the statute’s San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward area, so the cap is:

• 8.8% for increases taking effect August 1, 2026 through July 31, 2027;
• 6.3% for increases that took effect August 1, 2025 through July 31, 2026.

The cap is measured from the lowest rent charged in the prior 12 months, and it allows no more than two increases in that period. The main exemptions are:

• housing with a certificate of occupancy issued within the previous 15 years;
• a single-family home or condo owned by an individual (not a REIT, a corporation or an LLC with a corporate member) that gave the tenant the required written exemption notice;
• a duplex where the owner occupies the other unit.

See Is my rental exempt from the rent cap? and the regional table in California rent increase limits for 2026.

How much can rent go up in San Francisco in 2026?

For rent-controlled units, the Rent Board announces one allowable annual increase each year. It takes effect March 1. The Board’s current rates page lists:

The figure is 60% of the change in the Bay Area Consumer Price Index. Three other rules apply:

• A landlord may raise the rent only once every 12 months.
• Increases the landlord did not take in earlier years may be “banked” and imposed later.
• There is no limit on the starting rent for a new tenant when the unit is vacant.

Say your rent-controlled apartment rents for $3,000 and your anniversary increase takes effect October 1, 2026. The annual increase is 1.6%, or $48, for a new rent of $3,048. If the same $3,000 apartment were in a 1990 building with no city rent control, the state cap would allow up to 8.8%, or $264, for $3,264. The rent increase calculator handles the state-cap version for any county.

The same rates page also sets the interest landlords owe on security deposits: 4.2% for March 1, 2026 through February 28, 2027, down from 5.0% the year before. The statewide deposit rules are in the California security deposit law guide.

Rent increase license and the Housing Inventory

San Francisco adds a precondition that state law does not have. Owners must report their units to the Rent Board Housing Inventory by March 1 every year. A landlord also needs a current rent increase license on file before an annual or banked increase can take effect. The Rent Board puts it bluntly: “Your rent increase notice will not be enforceable without having a rent increase license on the effective date of the notice.”

The inventory requirement became operative July 1, 2022 for buildings with 10 or more units. Reporting for condos and buildings with fewer than 10 units began March 1, 2023.

The notice period is the same as state law. Under Civil Code 827, landlords must give at least 30 days’ written notice for an increase of 10% or less and 90 days for more than 10%. Mailing adds five days. The rent increase notice guide has the details.

San Francisco just cause eviction rules

A San Francisco landlord needs a “just cause” to evict, and the city lists 17 of them in Administrative Code 37.9. The city’s eviction page says these requirements “apply to most residential properties, including apartments, houses, condominiums, single family dwellings, and even buildings built after 1979.” That makes eviction protection far broader than rent control in San Francisco.

The city list includes tenant-fault grounds, such as nonpayment or nuisance, and no-fault grounds, such as owner move-in and withdrawal of the building from the rental market under the Ellis Act. Some details depend on the exact text of section 37.9, including when protection begins for a new tenant and what each notice must contain. Check them with the Rent Board rather than assuming the state rules apply.

The statewide just cause law, Civil Code 1946.2, generally gives way where a local just cause ordinance adopted on or before September 1, 2019 applies, or where a later local law is more protective. The state rules are summarized in California just cause eviction.

San Francisco relocation payments for 2026–27

Tenants evicted for a no-fault reason, such as owner move-in, are owed relocation payments. The Rent Board adjusts them each March 1. For March 1, 2026 through February 28, 2027:

Evictions under the Ellis Act, where the owner takes the whole building off the rental market, use a separate and higher schedule. For March 1, 2026 through February 28, 2027 it is:

Say three adult tenants share a unit and receive an owner move-in notice in November 2026. At $8,245 each, the total would be $24,735, but the per-unit maximum is $24,733, so $24,733 is owed. If one of the tenants is 60 or older, the rates page also lists an additional $5,497; ask the Rent Board how it is calculated for your household. The age cut-off is 60 for the standard schedule and 62 for Ellis Act evictions. The state background is in California relocation assistance and the Ellis Act explained.

Buyout agreements under Administrative Code 37.9E

San Francisco regulates offers of money to leave, known as buyouts or cash for keys, in detail. The Rent Board’s section 37.9E page sets out the steps:

1. Disclosure form. Before negotiating, the landlord must give each tenant the Rent Board’s Pre-Buyout Negotiations Disclosure Form, and must keep the signed copies for 5 years.
2. Declaration. The landlord must file a declaration of service with the Rent Board before negotiations begin.
3. Written agreement. The agreement must be in writing and must say the tenant can cancel it any time before the 45th day. The tenant may rescind within 45 days of full execution.
4. Filing. The landlord files the signed agreement with the Rent Board within 14 days after the rescission period ends, which is between day 46 and day 59.

If the landlord has not filed by day 59, the tenant may file it and may void any waiver or release language in it. An agreement that does not comply can be rescinded at any time. Buyouts can also affect a building’s later eligibility for condo conversion. One 2020 amendment, extending the rules to some eviction-case settlements, was blocked by a court injunction on December 11, 2020. More on weighing an offer is in cash for keys in California.

Where to get help with San Francisco tenant rights

The San Francisco Residential Rent Stabilization and Arbitration Board is at 25 Van Ness Avenue, Suite 700, San Francisco, CA 94102.

• Phone counseling: 415-252-4600, Monday to Friday, 9 am to 12 pm and 1 pm to 4 pm.
• In-person counseling: Monday to Friday, 9 am to 4 pm.
• Email: [email protected], for documents only.

Its page on rent increases in San Francisco explains banking and the annual increase in more detail. The buyout agreements page links to the required forms.

Questions people ask

What is the allowable rent increase in San Francisco for 2026?

For rent-controlled units, it is 1.6% for increases taking effect March 1, 2026 through February 28, 2027. The rate was 1.4% for the prior 12 months.

Is my San Francisco apartment rent controlled if it was built after 1979?

Generally no. Units built after June 13, 1979 have eviction protection but not city rent control. They may still be under the state cap of 8.8% for increases from August 1, 2026, unless an exemption applies.

How much is relocation for an owner move-in in San Francisco?

For March 1, 2026 through February 28, 2027, it is $8,245 per tenant, up to $24,733 per unit. An additional $5,497 applies for an elderly (60+) or disabled tenant or a household with minor children.

How long do I have to cancel a buyout agreement in San Francisco?

45 days from full execution. If the landlord skipped the disclosure or filing rules, the agreement can be rescinded at any time.

Can my landlord raise the rent without a rent increase license?

No. An annual or banked increase is not enforceable unless the landlord has a current rent increase license on the effective date of the notice.

Related California renter guides

• Oakland rent control and tenant rights
• Berkeley rent control and tenant rights
• San Jose rent control and tenant rights
• California rent increase limits for 2026 by county
• Just cause eviction rules under state law
• When a California landlord must pay you to move
• Cash for keys and tenant buyouts in California

This page explains what the cited California law says. It is not legal advice. Last verified September 28, 2026.