San Francisco County Municipal Code Ch. 1 Title and Scope

Sec. 100. Policy. Sec. 101. Title. Sec. 102. Purpose. Sec. 103. Scope. Sec. 104. Application to Existing Buildings and Structures. Sec. 105. Alternate Materials.

SEC. 100. POLICY. It is found and declared that there exist in the City and County of San Francisco substandard and unsanitary residential buildings and dwelling units whose physical conditions and characteristics render them unfit or unsafe for human occupancy and habitation, and which conditions and characteristics are such as to be detrimental to or jeopardize the health, safety and welfare of their occupants and of the public. It is further found and declared that there exist in the City and County of San Francisco residential buildings and dwelling units which were legally constructed according to standards now generally recognized to be obsolete and deficient in terms of current, modern housing standards for construction, use, occupancy, light and ventilation and sanitary facilities. The continued existence of these obsolete and deficient residential buildings and dwelling units is detrimental to or jeopardizes the health, safety and welfare of their occupants and of the public. It is further found and declared that the existence of such substandard buildings by reason of being unsanitary, obsolete and deficient as dwelling units threatens the physical, social and economic stability of sound residential buildings and areas, and of their supporting neighborhood facilities and institutions; necessitates disproportionate expenditures of public funds for remedial action; impairs the efficient and economical exercise of governmental powers and functions; and destroys the amenity of residential areas and neighborhoods and of the community as a whole. For these reasons it is hereby declared to be the policy of the City and County of San Francisco: (1) That it is in the public interest of the people of San Francisco to protect and promote the existence of sound and wholesome residential buildings, dwelling units and neighborhoods by the adoption and enforcement of such standards, regulations and procedures as will remedy the existence or prevent the development or creation of dangerous, substandard, unsanitary or obsolete and deficient residential buildings and dwelling units. (2) That the adoption and enforcement of a Housing Code is a necessary municipal governmental function in the interest of health, safety and welfare of the people of San Francisco. (Added by Ord. 399-89, App. 11/6/89; amended by Ord. 161-92, App. 6/4/92; Ord. 256-07, App. 11/6/2007)

SEC. 101. TITLE. This Code, known as the 2025 Housing Code, is a portion of the San Francisco Municipal Code, and is referred to herein as “this Code.” (Added by Ord. 399-89, App. 11/6/89; amended by Ord. 161-92, App. 6/4/92; Ord. 256-07, App. 11/6/2007; Ord. 232-25, File No. 250975, App. 11/21/2025, Eff. 12/22/2025, Oper. 1/1/2026) SEC. 102. PURPOSE. The purpose of this Code is to provide for the maintenance of the minimum requirements for the protection of life, limb, health, property, safety and welfare of the general public and the owners and occupants of residential buildings in San Francisco. In case of any conflict between the provisions of this Code and other provisions of the Municipal Code, the most restrictive shall govern except as set forth in Section 104(a). (Added by Ord. 399-89, App. 11/6/89; amended by Ord. 161-92, App. 6/4/92; Ord. 256-07, App. 11/6/2007) SEC. 103. SCOPE. The provisions of this Code shall apply to all existing buildings or portions thereof used, designed or intended for residential use, except that said provisions shall apply to homeless shelters only to the extent provided by subsection (7) below. Buildings in existence at the time of the passage of this Code may have their existing use or occupancy continued, if such use or occupancy was legal at the time of the passage of this Code, provided the building construction met the code requirements in effect at the time of construction and alteration, and such continued use is not dangerous to life and is not substandard, or that such use or occupancy does not now need additional Code requirements applied by adoption of a retroactive provision such as those referenced in Section 206 of this Code. All buildings and structures, both existing and new, and all parts thereof, shall be maintained in a safe and sanitary condition. All devices or safeguards which are required by this Code shall be maintained in conformance with the Code edition under which installed, unless otherwise required by the Building Code or other adopted ordinance applied retroactively. The owner or the owner's designated agent shall be responsible for the maintenance of the buildings and structures. Wherever used in this Code, the terms "residential use," "dwelling," "hotel" and "apartment house" shall be considered to include the additional terms as follows: "Dwelling" shall include lodging houses, nursing homes for not more than five persons, and the other occupancies referred to in Section 310 of the Building Code. "Apartment house" or "hotel" shall include dormitories designed for more than five persons and occupancies referred to in Section 310 of the Building Code. Such occupancies in existing buildings may be continued except when such structures are found to be substandard as defined in this Code. (1) Any building or structure not erected as an apartment house, hotel or dwelling, which is converted to or altered for such use, shall conform to all the provisions of the Building Code for such use. (2) In any building erected as a combined apartment house and hotel, or any building altered or converted into a combined apartment house and hotel, every portion thereof used for apartment house purposes, including each apartment, shall comply with all apartment house requirements of the Building Code or this Code; and every portion thereof used for hotel purposes, including each guest room, guest room suite, and dormitory shall comply with all the hotel requirements of the Building Code or this Code. (3) It is unlawful to increase the percentage of the lot occupied or in any manner, whether by sale, conveyance or otherwise, to diminish the required size of yards, courts, passageways, shafts, windows or skylights, or to remove any required sanitary facility, fire protection equipment, device, safeguard, installation, stairway or fire escape, or to obstruct the egress from any building or from the hallways, passageways or stairways. (4) If it is reconstructed, any building which has been damaged by fire or the elements shall conform to all applicable provisions of the Building Code. (5) Except as otherwise specifically provided in this Code, all applicable provisions of the San Francisco Municipal Code shall be complied with in the construction, alteration or repair of residential buildings. (6) It is further provided that the Director of the Department of Building Inspection may adopt and promulgate rules and regulations supplemental to this Code and not in conflict therewith, provided they are the most generally accepted or approved methods and practices for public welfare and safety of life and property. Such rules and regulations shall be subject to reexamination and change if at any time such rules and regulations are found by any enforcement agency not to be in conformance with the intent or requirements of the Municipal Code. (7) Notwithstanding Section 206 or any other provision of this Code, use of any building or portion thereof by an organization exempt from federal income tax under Internal Revenue Code Sections 501(c)(3) or 501(d), as approved by an authorized government agency, to shelter otherwise homeless persons, or construction, alteration or repair of any building to initiate, expand or continue such a shelter, shall be subject to only those provisions of this Code which are determined by the Director of the Department of Building Inspection pursuant to an administrative bulletin to be published by him, after consultation with the Building Inspection Commission and the Fire Department, to be necessary or appropriate to prevent the building from being or becoming a nuisance as defined in this Code. Any provision waived by said bulletin shall be applied when homeless shelter use ceases, and may be applied when homeless shelter use is reduced. (8) Rooming houses, congregate residences or lodging houses shall comply with all requirements of th

ission and the Fire Department, to be necessary or appropriate to prevent the building from being or becoming a nuisance as defined in this Code. Any provision waived by said bulletin shall be applied when homeless shelter use ceases, and may be applied when homeless shelter use is reduced. (8) Rooming houses, congregate residences or lodging houses shall comply with all requirements of this Code for dwellings.

(Added by Ord. 399-89, App. 11/6/89; amended by Ord. 161-92, App. 6/4/92; Ord. 350-95, App. 11/3/95; Ord. 256-07, App. 11/6/2007) SEC. 104. APPLICATION TO EXISTING BUILDINGS AND STRUCTURES. (a) Existing Buildings. All buildings erected after July 26, 1958 shall comply either with the codes in effect at the time of construction or the present Building, Electrical and Plumbing Codes at the discretion of the owner. All buildings altered or converted prior to July 26, 1958 which do not conform to the codes in effect at the time of the alteration or conversion and the provisions of this Code shall be reconverted back to the original approved state and brought into compliance with the retroactive requirements applicable to the original structure, or conform to all the applicable requirements outlined in the present codes. Pursuant to Section 102 of this Code regarding the maintenance of all buildings constructed, altered or converted to Group R, Division 1 and 3 occupancy prior to January 1, 1984, said buildings shall comply with the 1979 San Francisco Building Code. Pursuant to Section 102 of this Code regarding the maintenance of all buildings constructed, altered or converted to Group R, Division 1, 2, and 3 occupancy after January 1, 1984, said buildings shall comply with the codes that are in effect at that time. (b) Relocation. Buildings or structures moved into or within this jurisdiction shall comply with the requirements in the Building Code for new buildings and structures. (Added by Ord. 399-89, App. 11/6/89; amended by Ord. 161-92, App. 6/4/92; Ord. 350-95, App. 11/3/95; Ord. 256-07, App. 11/6/2007) SEC. 105. ALTERNATE MATERIALS. See Section 104A.2.8 of the Building Code. (Added by Ord. 399-89, App. 11/6/89; amended by Ord. 161-92, App. 6/4/92; Ord. 256-07, App. 11/6/2007; Ord. 232-25, File No. 250975, App. 11/21/2025, Eff. 12/22/2025, Oper. 1/1/2026)