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Local Rent Rules · last verified October 25, 2026

San Francisco, CA rent rules

Coverage, this period's allowable increase, notice periods, just cause and relocation — straight from the official sources, each linked and dated. 3 items are marked "not verified": we would rather show no figure than a guessed one.

Check a specific unit →

Not legal advice. LeaseHelper is a document automation service, not a law firm. This page summarises official sources and links each figure to them. Rules change — city figures are re-published every year — so check the "verified" date on each item and confirm with the agency before you act.

State law also applies here: California (statewide — Tenant Protection Act, AB 1482).

Which units are covered

rent control built on or before

Rent control + eviction protection: residential units built on or before June 13, 1979 that are not single-family dwellings.

1979-06-13

S.F. Admin. Code ch. 37 (Rent Ordinance) · official source · verified October 25, 2026

just cause only

These units have just-cause eviction protection but no local rent-increase limit (AB 1482 may still cap them).

  • units built after June 13, 1979 (new construction)
  • most single-family homes and condos where the tenant moved in on or after January 1, 1996
  • units that have undergone substantial rehabilitation
  • units regulated by another government agency

S.F. Admin. Code ch. 37 (Rent Ordinance) · official source · verified October 25, 2026

Maximum rent increase

max pct Applies March 1, 2026 – February 28, 2027

Allowable annual increase, applied to base rent only, once every 12 months. Banking of skipped increases is allowed.

1.6

S.F. Admin. Code ch. 37 (Rent Ordinance) · official source · verified October 25, 2026

Notice periods

rent increase notice days

30 days' written notice; 90 days if the increase (alone or combined within a year) exceeds 10%; add 5 days if mailed. Notice must state the dollar amount, percentage and effective date.

up to 10 %
30
over 10 %
90
add if mailed
5

Civ. Code §827(b); S.F. Admin. Code ch. 37 · official source · verified October 25, 2026

Just cause for eviction

applies

Most residential tenants have just-cause protection: at-fault (nonpayment, nuisance, breach) and no-fault (owner/relative move-in, Ellis Act, temporary capital improvements, demolition, substantial rehabilitation) reasons.

Yes

S.F. Admin. Code §37.9(a) · official source · verified October 25, 2026

Relocation assistance

no fault amounts Applies March 1, 2026 – February 28, 2027

No-fault relocation (owner/relative move-in, demolition or permanent removal, temporary capital improvement, substantial rehabilitation). Additional amount for each elderly (60+), disabled, or household with minor children.

per tenant
$8,245
max per unit
$24,733
additional per elderly disabled or minor household
$5,497

S.F. Admin. Code §37.9C · official source · verified October 25, 2026

ellis act amounts

Not verified — no figure shown. Ellis Act relocation amounts are published separately and were not read on 2026-10-25. Not asserted.

Registration and filings

notice filing

Not verified — no figure shown. Whether/when a termination notice must be filed with the Rent Board was not stated on the pages read. Not asserted.

Penalties

violation

Not verified — no figure shown. Penalties were not stated on the sf.gov pages read on 2026-10-25. Not asserted.

Need the notice itself?

Generate a rent-increase, just-cause termination or relocation notice built from these exact figures, with the required city language.

See notices →

Rules change — last verified October 25, 2026. Dataset: legal-facts/v1, jurisdiction ca-san-francisco.