With tenants in rent controlled apartments reporting offers of up to $80,000 to vacate, and unreported offers of even more, a proposed law which would require the public disclosure and tracking of all tenant buyout agreements in San Francisco, and prohibit buildings which are emptied by way of a buyout... Read More »

A Federal judge has given The City of San Francisco until Friday to file a legal brief justifying The City’s newly adopted and accelerated law which requires landlords in San Francisco who invoke the Ellis Act to pay evicted tenants an upfront sum equal to the difference between their... Read More »

As expected, the language for an ordinance which would require the public disclosure of all tenant buyout agreements in San Francisco, and prohibit buildings which are emptied by way of a buyout from being condo converted, has been drafted and proposed. Sponsored by Supervisors Campos and Avalos, if adopted,... Read More »

The number of tenants in rent controlled apartments who received a buyout offer to vacate and sought counseling from the San Francisco Tenants Union has increased from 90 in 2007 to 175 in 2013. While the maximum offer reported to the Tenants Union was $80,000, the average offer was... Read More »

The San Francisco Apartment Association and Coalition for Better Housing are preparing to file a federal lawsuit today which seeks to overturn the newly adopted and accelerated city law which requires landlords in San Francisco who invoke the Ellis Act to pay evicted tenants an upfront sum equal to... Read More »

Senator Mark Leno has decided not to pursue his proposed bill to curb speculative Ellis Act evictions in San Francisco. Drafted “to ensure that real estate speculators in San Francisco do not buy rent-controlled property and empty it of long-term tenants,” Senate Bill 1439 was tentatively passed by the... Read More »

A proposed change to San Francisco’s Administrative Code would allow tenants to pack in more people into an apartment without the risk of an eviction or having to pay more. As proposed by Supervisor Avalos, an amendment to San Francisco’s Administrative Code would prohibit rent increases based on the addition of occupants,... Read More »

As promised, the language of Senator Mark Leno’s bill to curb speculative Ellis Act evictions in San Francisco has been amended.  And while the amendment might not be enough to get the bill passed into law, it would create a key exception for individuals if it does. Drafted “to ensure that real estate... Read More »

Falling three votes short on Wednesday with only two days left to pass the bill to the State Assembly, Senator Mark Leno bill to curb speculative Ellis Act evictions in San Francisco appeared DOA but was revived when the bill was reconsidered and passed by the Senate in a... Read More »

Mark Leno’s Senate Bill 1439 which seeks “to ensure that real estate speculators in San Francisco do not buy rent-controlled property and empty it of long-term tenants” failed to clear the Senate Floor yesterday in a 18-19 vote.  A motion to reconsider the Bill was approved, however, and Leno... Read More »