San Francisco — Rent Ordinance

Last reviewed: July 6, 2026

Overview

San Francisco’s Residential Rent Stabilization and Arbitration Ordinance, codified in the San Francisco Administrative Code as Chapter 37, governs rent stabilization, allowable rent increases, and “just cause” eviction protections for covered residential units citywide. It also creates the Residential Rent Stabilization and Arbitration Board (the “Rent Board”) to administer rules, petitions, and appeals. The ordinance is expressly intended to be more protective than state baseline tenant protections and therefore applies in San Francisco where it offers greater protections (§ 37.1(d)) .

Core rule: A landlord may not lawfully impose rent increases on a covered unit unless they have substantially complied with the City’s reporting obligations and hold a current “license to impose rent increases” under § 37.15; during any period of noncompliance, the license is suspended and the tenant is not obligated to pay the increase (§ 37.15(d)-(e)) .

What the Rent Ordinance establishes in San Francisco

Title, purpose, and administration

• The law is the Residential Rent Stabilization and Arbitration Ordinance (Administrative Code Chapter 37) and establishes the Rent Board to administer and enforce rent controls and eviction protections (§ 37.1(a), (b)) .
• San Francisco explicitly finds Chapter 37 “more protective” than the state Tenant Protection Act and intends Chapter 37 to apply where it provides stronger limits on termination of tenancies (§ 37.1(d)) . For state-law context, see California housing laws.

Key definitions and how “base rent” works

• Base Rent is the initial rent at the start of tenancy plus any increases allowable and imposed under Chapter 37; it excludes certain categories, including capital-improvement passthroughs under § 37.7 and specified utility and bond passthroughs under § 37.3(a)(5)(B) and § 37.3(a)(6) (§ 37.2(a)(1)(A)-(B)) .
• The code also defines Good Samaritan Status for temporary occupancies after emergencies and describes how initial and subsequent rent operate in those cases (§ 37.2(a)(1)(D)) .

Allowable annual rent increases (rent stabilization)

• Annual rent increases on covered units are limited by the ordinance’s formula at § 37.3(a)(1)-(2); the Rent Board publishes the allowable percentage by effective year (reference chart Form 571) .
• For a special City-owned complex (Midtown Park Apartments), increases for certain tenants are tied to the same annual mechanism in § 37.3(a)(1)-(2) (§ 37B.3(a)) .

Petitions and passthroughs administered by the Rent Board

• The ordinance allows certain cost-based adjustments, including Capital Improvement passthroughs under § 37.7; the Rent Board sets procedures and publishes reference rates used in those calculations (e.g., imputed interest and uncompensated labor) .
• Base rent must exclude § 37.7 increases when determining future allowable percentage increases (§ 37.2(a)(1)(A)) .
• Utility and certain City bond passthroughs are administered separately; they are also excluded from base rent calculations (§ 37.2(a)(1)(B); cross-ref. § 37.3(a)(5)(B) and (6)) .

Just cause eviction protections and notice practices

• Evictions from covered units require a lawful “just cause” under § 37.9; for specific City rehabilitation loan areas, tenants “are subject to eviction only in accordance with § 37.9,” underscoring citywide application of just-cause limits (§ 32.75-1) .
• For curable lease breaches, landlords must first serve a written warning giving a 10-day opportunity to cure before serving a termination notice (§ 37.9(c)) .
• Tenants may report alleged wrongful evictions to the Rent Board; the Board accepts these filings for investigation (Rent Board process; see “Wrongful Eviction Report”) .
• The City confirms Chapter 37 includes “additional tenant protections” beyond state minimums (§ 37.1(d)) . For broader permit issues that sometimes intersect with habitability or repair notices, see San Francisco Permits & Forms.

Reporting obligations, “rent increase license,” and what is not a registry

• The Rent Board creates a housing inventory using owner-reported information and issues a “license to impose rent increases” for substantially compliant landlords (§ 37.15(d)-(e)) .
• The Rent Board “shall not use the information to operate a rental registry” within the meaning of Civil Code §§ 1947.7–1947.8 (§ 37.15(d)) . This is a licensing/inventory system, not a statewide preempted registry. For state-law background on registries, see California housing laws.

Fees and administration

• San Francisco imposes an annual Rent Stabilization and Arbitration Fee on each residential unit to fund Rent Board operations; amounts are set annually and tracked by the Controller (§ 37A.2(c)-(d)) . The Rent Board publishes a fee history reference (Form 573) .

Security deposit interest

• The Rent Board publishes a chart of required security deposit interest rates; the chart cites § 37.2(h) as governing authority (Form 572) .

Rent Board rules: hearings, hardship, and appeals

• Parties can seek Commission review of Rent Board arbitration decisions via appeal; the Board also recognizes filings when a party did not receive notice (RB Rules § 11.12, “Declaration of Non-Receipt of Notice”) and provides a process to withdraw appeals (RB Rules § 11.13(g)) .
• The Board accepts tenant financial hardship applications related to certified passthroughs, and landlord hardship appeals are recognized under the Board’s procedures (RB Rules, referenced in official forms) .
• Additional petition categories administered by the Board include utility and bond-measure passthroughs and special-circumstances rent adjustments; these are rooted in Chapter 37 and Rent Board Rules and are supported by official Board worksheets and forms .

Special local provision: Midtown Park Apartments (Chapter 37B)

• Chapter 37B provides a tailored framework for the City-owned Midtown Park Apartments, linking eligible tenants’ maximum allowable rents to § 37.3(a)(1)-(2) increases while others follow an MOHCD schedule (§§ 37B.1–37B.3) .

Decision-relevant standards and processes (selected)

Related permitting or building-safety issues live elsewhere; see the San Francisco zoning & planning overview, San Francisco Building Inspection Commission Code, and California Building Standards Code. If you are adding an in-law unit, visit San Francisco ADUs.

Information Gaps

• Coverage cutoff (e.g., which buildings are subject/exempt by construction date): Not found in retrieved materials. Verify with the jurisdiction.
• Complete, enumerated list of “just causes” under § 37.9: Not found in retrieved materials. Verify with the jurisdiction.
• Exact appeal timelines and all Rent Board Rules text: Not found in retrieved materials; only partial RB Rules references surfaced. Verify with the jurisdiction.
• Specific relocation assistance amounts and triggers (e.g., § 37.9A): Not found in retrieved materials. Verify with the jurisdiction.

Checklist

• Confirm your unit’s coverage under Chapter 37 and any exemptions (coverage details not confirmed here). Verify with the jurisdiction.
• If planning a rent increase, confirm you have an active § 37.15 rent increase license; if suspended, restore compliance before noticing an increase (§ 37.15(d)-(e)) .
• Calculate any increase using the Rent Board’s published allowable rate and rules referencing § 37.3(a)(1)-(2) (see Form 571) .
• For capital/utility/bond passthroughs, file the appropriate Rent Board petitions and use official worksheets; remember these charges do not increase “base rent” (§ 37.2(a)(1)(A)-(B); § 37.7) .
• If alleging or defending an eviction for breach, use a 10‑day written warning for curable violations before any termination notice (§ 37.9(c)) .
• Pay the annual Rent Board fee and keep records (§ 37A.2) .
• For deposits held a year or more, consult the Rent Board’s security deposit interest chart (Form 572) citing § 37.2(h) .
• If you receive an adverse Rent Board decision, review appeal options and forms referenced in RB Rules § 11.12 and § 11.13(g) .

Risks & Ambiguities

Plain-English Summary

San Francisco’s Rent Ordinance caps most annual rent increases, requires a Rent Board “license” before any increase, and limits evictions to specific legal reasons. If you’re raising rent, use the Rent Board’s published percentage and make sure you’re licensed; if you’re evicting for a curable breach, you must first give a 10‑day warning. Many extra charges (capital improvements, certain utilities or bonds) need Rent Board approval and don’t raise the “base rent” for future percentage increases (§§ 37.2, 37.3, 37.7, 37.9, 37.15) .

Source References

• Administrative Code Chapter 37 — Title, findings, and tenant-protection primacy: § 37.1(a)-(d)
• Definitions and base rent: § 37.2(a)(1)(A)-(D); exclusions and Good Samaritan provisions
• Annual allowable rent methodology: § 37.3(a)(1)-(2) (referenced in § 37B.3) ; RB chart (Form 571)
• Capital improvements and related RB references: § 37.7; RB imputed-interest and labor references (Forms 574–575)
• Just-cause eviction and cure notice: § 37.9; § 37.9(c) (10‑day warning)
• Reporting obligations; “license to impose rent increases”: § 37.15(d)-(e) (not a statewide “registry”)
• Rent Stabilization & Arbitration Fee: § 37A.2 (fee structure and administration)
• Security deposit interest chart referencing code authority: § 37.2(h) (RB Form 572)
• Rent Board Rules — appeals and notice issues: RB Rules § 11.12; § 11.13(g) (forms 559/560)
• Special application (Midtown Park Apartments): Chapter 37B; § 37B.3 (links to § 37.3(a)(1)-(2))

Retrieved passages

• San Francisco Zoning Code (§37.3) High relevance show source text
• San Francisco Zoning Code (Section shall) High relevance show source text
• San Francisco Zoning Code (Chapter 37B) High relevance show source text
• San Francisco Zoning Code (Section 37.1) High relevance show source text
• San Francisco Zoning Code (Section 1946.2) High relevance show source text
• San Francisco Zoning Code (Section 32.73) High relevance show source text
• San Francisco Zoning Code (Section 37.15) High relevance show source text
• San Francisco Zoning Code (section or) High relevance show source text

Cited sections

• Administrative Code Chapter 37 — Title, findings, and tenant-protection primacy: **§ 37.1(a)-(d)** (Chapter 37)
• Definitions and base rent: **§ 37.2(a)(1)(A)-(D)**; exclusions and Good Samaritan provisions (§ 37.2)
• Annual allowable rent methodology: **§ 37.3(a)(1)-(2)** (referenced in § 37B.3) ; RB chart (Form 571) (§ 37.3)
• Capital improvements and related RB references: **§ 37.7**; RB imputed-interest and labor references (Forms 574–575) (§ 37.7)
• Just-cause eviction and cure notice: **§ 37.9; § 37.9(c)** (10‑day warning) (§ 37.9)
• Reporting obligations; “license to impose rent increases”: **§ 37.15(d)-(e)** (not a statewide “registry”) (§ 37.15)
• Rent Stabilization & Arbitration Fee: **§ 37A.2** (fee structure and administration) (§ 37A.2)
• Security deposit interest chart referencing code authority: **§ 37.2(h)** (RB Form 572) (§ 37.2)
• Rent Board Rules — appeals and notice issues: **RB Rules § 11.12; § 11.13(g)** (forms 559/560) (§ 11.12)
• Special application (Midtown Park Apartments): **Chapter 37B; § 37B.3** (links to § 37.3(a)(1)-(2)) (Chapter 37B)
• SF Admin Code.md
• SF Rent Registry canonical.json
• SF Rent Engine Routing.json
• SF Rent UI Scenario Payload.json