Your Rights as a Tenant
🛡️ You Have Rights
San Francisco has some of the strongest tenant protections in the nation. Knowing your rights is the first step to protecting them.
Rent Control
324 Larkin is covered by SF Rent Ordinance. This means:
- Annual increases are capped at a percentage set by the Rent Board (based on inflation)
- Landlord cannot raise rent more than once per year
- Must give 30 days written notice for increases under 10%
- Capital improvement passthroughs require Rent Board approval
Just Cause Eviction
You cannot be evicted without one of the 16 "just causes" listed in SF law:
- Non-payment of rent (with proper notice)
- Breach of lease (with opportunity to cure)
- Owner/relative move-in (strict requirements apply)
- Ellis Act withdrawal (requires relocation payments)
Important: Even with just cause, landlords must follow strict procedures.
Habitability
Your landlord must maintain the unit in habitable condition:
- Working plumbing, heating, and electrical
- Functioning locks on doors and windows
- Free from pest infestations
- Proper weatherproofing
- Working smoke and CO detectors
During Foreclosure
📋 Foreclosure Does Not End Your Tenancy
Under federal and California law, new owners must honor existing leases and cannot evict tenants simply because of foreclosure.
Key Protections
- 90-day notice minimum — New owners must give at least 90 days notice
- Lease honored — If you have a fixed-term lease, it continues
- No retaliation — Cannot be evicted for asserting your rights
- Relocation payments — May apply in certain circumstances
What To Do
- Keep paying rent to current management until instructed otherwise
- Document everything — Keep copies of all communications
- Get receipt for rent — Always pay in a traceable way
- Know your new owner — When ownership transfers, verify new payment info in writing
Get Help
- SF Rent Board — Official rent control administration
Hotline: (415) 252-4600 - SF Tenants Union — Counseling, organizing, advocacy
Hotline: (415) 282-6622 - Housing Rights Committee of SF — Free counseling and assistance
- Eviction Defense Collaborative — If you receive an eviction notice
- Office of Labor Standards Enforcement — Habitability complaints