APARTMEN SF
MCELROY
Cover & Left: The Canyon.
Photos by Jason O’Rear.
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SF APARTMENT
San Francisco Apartment
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San Francisco, CA 94102
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Government and Community Affairs Charley Goss
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Education & Member Services Maria Shea
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SFAA Officers
President J.J. Panzer
Vice President Robert Link
Treasurer Paul Gaetani
SFAA Directors
Eric Andresen, Oz Erickson, Craig Greenwood, Neveo Mosser, Bert Polacci, James Sangiacomo, Kent Mar, Dave Wasserman, Andrew Long, Marina Franco
VOLUME XXXVI, NUMBER 1 JANUARY 2025
Published by
San Francisco Apartment Association
Publisher Vanessa Khaleel
Editor Pam McElroy
Art Director Jéna Safai
Production Manager Stephanie Alonzo
Tel 415-255-2288
Web www.sfaa.org
SF Apartment Magazine (ISSN 1539-8161) Periodicals Postage Paid at San Francisco, California and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the SF APARTMENT MAGAZINE, 265 Ivy Street, San Francisco, CA 94102.
The SF Apartment Magazine is published monthly for $84 per year by the San Francisco Apartment Association (SFAA), 265 Ivy Street, San Francisco, CA 94102. The SF Apartment Magazine is not responsible for the return or loss of submissions or artwork. The magazine does not consider unsolicited articles. The opinions expressed in any signed article in the SF Apartment Magazine are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the viewpoint of the SFAA or SF Apartment Magazine. This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting or other professional services. If legal service or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent person should be sought. Acceptance of an advertisement by this magazine does not necessarily constitute any endorsement or recommendation by the SFAA, express or implied, of the advertiser or any goods or services offered. Published monthly, the SF Apartment Magazine is distributed to the entire membership of the SFAA. The contents of this magazine may not be reproduced without permission. Publisher disclaims any liability for published articles. Printed by Printing Partners Copyright @2024 by SFAA.
Rise and Sign
The San Francisco Rent Board announced 2025’s annual allowable rent increase.
Effective March 1, 2025, through February 28, 2026, the allowable annual rent increase is 1.4%. This amount is based on a 60% increase in the Consumer Price Index for all urban consumers in the Bay Area. To calculate the allowable rent increase, multiply the tenant’s base rent by .014.
For example, if the tenant’s base rent is $2,000, the annual increase would be calculated as follows: $2,000 x .014 = $28. The tenant’s new base rent would be $2,028 ($2,000 + $28).
Annual increases must be calculated only on the tenant’s base rent, which does not include capital improvement passthroughs or bond measure passthroughs. Rent increases cannot be “rounded up” to the nearest dollar.
For more information, visit the San Francisco Rent Board website at sfrb. org, or call them at 415-252-4600. For a history of all allowable increases and effective periods, turn to page 33.
Vacancy Tax Appeal
In November 2024, SFAA’s Legal Fund successfully sued to invalidate the residential vacancy tax in San Francisco Superior Court. The Superior Court sided with the SFAA on all causes of action. For details, check out the December issue of this publication.
As expected, on December 6, 2024, the City and County of San Francisco filed a Notice of Appeal of the Superior Court’s decision. Now, SFAA must prepare to argue our case in the Court of Appeals. Doing so is expected to cost at least several hundred thousand dollars.
Fighting to affirm the Superior Court’s decision to invalidate the vacancy tax is a priority for SFAA and our members, and contributions to the SFAA Legal Fund are therefore needed now to fund our efforts in the Court of Appeals.
You can make a contribution to the Legal Fund on the SFAA website (sfaa. org), or by sending a check to SFAA
Legal Fund, 265 Ivy Street, San Francisco, CA 94102. For more information read the sidebar on page 54.
Commercial Space to Multifamily Housing
The San Francisco Department of Building Inspection (DBI) has introduced new building code guidelines to clarify provisions for adaptive reuse projects, particularly for converting underutilized office buildings into residential spaces. This initiative is part of the city’s broader effort to address the housing crisis, with Mayor Breed’s 30x30 Plan aiming to convert 5 million square feet of office space into approximately 5,000 housing units by 2030. The guidelines were developed in collaboration with the San Francisco Fire Department, Planning Department, and other city agencies, alongside an Office-to-Residential Task Force comprising experts in architecture, engineering, and real estate development.
The new guidelines focus on reducing regulatory barriers for office-toresidential conversions, particularly in downtown zoning districts. Key provisions include flexibility in areas such as building envelope, exterior walls, earthquake safety, and accessibility, allowing for more efficient and cost-effective conversions. For example, the guidelines offer more options for exterior wall openings (such as windows and doors) than current codes permit, as long as appropriate design equivalencies are met. Additionally, in cases where direct light is not feasible in all habitable rooms, alternatives like indirect light, skylights, or light courts are now allowed.
One significant change addresses elevator upgrades. The guidelines specify that existing elevators in
SFAA LANDLORD EXPO
Come join SFAA and local rental property owners for a free education event covering all things multifamily housing. Attendees will learn all about the latest trends, products and services in the multifamily housing industry. Consult with legal and management professionals, get to know service providers, improve your overall effectiveness at the free educational seminars, and meet peers in the San Francisco rental property market. The event is free!
When: Wednesday, March 19, 2025
Where: Fort Mason Center Gallery 308
For more information on the Landlord Expo, turn to pages 39 and 43. To become a sponsor, contact stephanie@sfaa.org
low-rise buildings do not need to be upgraded to meet modern code requirements for larger gurney size or emergency operation features. This provision had previously been a major barrier to adaptive reuse projects. The new guidelines are expected to provide clearer direction for developers, reducing uncertainty around necessary upgrades and lowering design and construction costs. Additionally, the process is expected to speed up permitting times, building on the progress already made to expedite housing-related building permit reviews.
The guidelines also provide clarifications regarding dwelling unit sizes, allowing smaller dimensions for units in adaptive reuse projects, aligning with new construction standards instead of the larger dimensions typically required for existing buildings. Historic buildings may use existing fire escapes if they meet updated inspection and improvement standards. In high-rise structures, alternative measures can be proposed if installing a fire-safe access elevator is deemed a hardship.
These changes are designed to streamline the conversion of commercial office spaces into residential units, making such projects more feasible and encouraging developers to contribute to the city’s housing supply.
ADU Permit Review Roundtable
The City has introduced the Permit Review Roundtable, a new initiative aimed at accelerating the review process for Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) permit applications submitted under the State or Hybrid Programs. This service brings together all relevant City departments in a streamlined, collaborative process to ensure that ADU projects move through the approval pipeline quickly and smoothly.
Project sponsors will submit their ADU permit applications through the In-House Review portal. After receiving a completeness letter and paying the necessary permit fees, sponsors will be invited to a virtual Permit Review Roundtable with a team of City experts, including the DBI, Planning, Public Works, SF Fire, and the Public Utilities Commission.
During this forty-five-minute virtual meeting, the project’s design professional and City plan checkers will discuss the plans, provide feedback, and address any questions. The City will also send a combined mark-up of comments as a PDF attachment, with no need for special software to access them.
The design professional must participate in the Roundtable meeting to make any revisions and ensure all compliance questions are addressed. Once the revised plans are ready, they will be resubmitted for further review. If additional changes are needed, a follow-up Permit Review Roundtable will be scheduled. There is no extra charge for participating in this service, which is designed to speed up ADU permitting while providing a comprehensive, clear review process.
For additional information, please contact Plan Submittal Support at sfplanreview@sfgov.org or Technical Questions at techq@sfgov.org
SFAA Office Update
SFAA’s office is open Monday through Friday. Members are welcome to come into the office to pick up rental forms or for counseling services between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Please call the SFAA office to confirm your lease order and make an appointment for counseling whenever possible.
All SFAA staff members are available to assist you every weekday. Rental forms can be accessed online at sfaa.org. The best way to have your questions answered is by calling the office at 415-255-2288 and, if needed, selecting a staff member’s extension. Questions can also be submitted via email to MemberQuestions@sfaa.org
And just a friendly reminder: Timely payment of membership dues is the best way to help the association help you.
Call for
Submissions:
“Tales from the Corridors”
Do you have a story that has your colleagues in stitches? Ever experienced a housing industry escapade that’s too wild to keep to yourself? A lesson you learned that we can all heed? We want to hear from you!
SF Apartment Magazine is excited to announce a new quarterly column: “Tales from the Corridors.” This is your chance to share the funniest, craziest, or most outlandish stories from your life as a property manager or other industry professional. We want to showcase the unique and entertaining experiences that not only amuse but also offer valuable insights to our community.
How to Submit: Email your story to pam@sfaa.org with the subject line “Tales from the Corridors Submission.”
Selected stories will be featured in our quarterly publication, giving you bragging rights and a chance to entertain and educate fellow housing professionals across the city.
Tenant Tango
written by DEBRA CARLTON
Read on for CAA’s breakdown of key 2025 laws shaping rental practices, from fees to tenant protections.
As we do each year, the California Apartment Association weighed in on hundreds of rental housing-related bills at the state Capitol. We successfully stopped the most problematic bills from reaching the governor’s desk while helping ensure that the bills that did were amended to be more workable for rental property owners. In the following paragraphs, we review some of the bills signed into law that will affect your everyday rental operations. Unless otherwise indicated, each of these laws took effect January 1, 2025.
Tenant Screening
This law provides that landlords or their agents may charge a potential tenant an application screening fee only if the property owner or their agent, at the time the application screening fee is collected, (1) accepts completed applications in the order in which they are received, and (2) approves the first applicant to meet the owner’s established screening criteria. It also requires that the property owner’s screening criteria be provided to the applicant in writing, together with the application, when the application is requested. This law was enacted through AB 2493, authored by Assemblymember Gail Pellerin (D-Santa Cruz).
Security Deposits
This law provides that a rental property owner who collects a security deposit must take photographs of the unit:
• Immediately before or at the start of the tenancy;
• Within a reasonable time after the unit is returned to the owner, but prior to any repairs or cleaning for which the landlord will make a deduction from the security deposit; and
• Within a reasonable time, after repairs or cleaning are completed.
The owner must provide these photographs to the departing tenant if the owner uses any portion of the security deposit for repairs or cleaning the unit. Beginning April 1, 2025, the owner must take photographs of the unit within a reasonable time after the possession of the unit is returned to the owner. For tenancies that begin on or after July 1, 2025, the owner must take photographs of the unit immediately before or at the start of the tenancy. This law was enacted through AB 2801, authored by Assemblymember Laura Friedman (D-Glendale).
Rent Reporting: Market Rate Housing
This law requires a residential rental property owner to offer tenants the option of having their positive rental payment information reported to at least one nationwide consumer reporting agency. For leases entered into on and after April 1, 2025, the offer of reporting positive rental payment information must be made at the time of the lease agreement and at least once annually thereafter. For existing leases, as of January 1, 2025, the offer of positive rental payment information reporting must be made no later than April 1, 2025, and at least once annually thereafter.
Owners may charge tenants a fee to cover actual costs (not to exceed $10 each month) of reporting the positive rent payments. This law does not apply if the residential rental building contains fifteen or fewer dwelling units, unless both of the following apply:
• The landlord owns more than one residential rental building, regardless of the number of units in each building.
• The landlord is a real estate inventment trust, as defined; a corporation; or a limited liability company in which at least one member is a corporation.
This law was enacted through AB 2747, authored by Assemblymember Matt Haney (D-San Francisco).
Rent Reporting: Affordable Housing
This law deletes the existing January 1, 2025 repeal date. It continues in place the requirement that owners of an assisted housing development offer tenants the option to have their rental payments reported to at least one consumer reporting agency. Landlords may charge tenants the actual cost, not to exceed $10 each month, to cover the cost of reporting.
Just like AB 2747 outlined above, this law does not apply to buildings with fifteen or fewer dwelling units, with exceptions as outlined above. This law was enacted through SB 924, authored by Senator Steven Bradford (D-Gardena).
Fees and Notices
This law prohibits landlords and their agents from charging a tenant any fee for payment by check for rent or a security deposit. It also prohibits landlords and their agents from charging a tenant a fee for serving, posting, or delivering any notice, as described.
After April 1, 2025, if a landlord or their agent charges a military service member a higher-than-standard or advertised security deposit, the lease agreement must include a statement about the amount of the higher fee and an explanation of why the higher security deposit is being charged. The law requires the additional amount of security deposit to be returned to the tenant after no more than six months if the tenant is not in arrears for any rent due during that period. This law was enacted through SB 611, authored by Sen. Caroline Menjivar (D-Burbank).
Domestic Violence
This law requires landlords to change the locks for a tenant, at the landlord’s own expense, within twenty-four hours of being provided information that a tenant or a member of the tenant’s household has been a victim of abuse or violence. If the landlord fails to change the locks, the landlord must reimburse the tenant within twenty-one days if the tenant changes the locks. The tenant must notify the property owner within twenty-four hours that the locks have been changed
and must provide the landlord with a key. This law was enacted through SB 1051, authored by Senator Susan Eggman (D-Stockton).
Eviction Process
This law extends the requirement for a tenant to file an answer to an unlawful detainer complaint from five days to ten days. It also shortens the time for a hearing on specific motions that have typically been used by tenant attorneys to delay an eviction. This law was enacted through AB 2347, authored by Assemblymember Ash Kalra (D-San Jose).
Balconies: Inspection Extension
This law extends by one year the deadline for rental property owners to perform balcony inspections and inspections of other exterior elevated elements in all buildings containing three or more multifamily dwelling units. The deadline was moved from January 1, 2025 to January 1, 2026. This law was enacted through AB 2579, authored by Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva (D-Fullerton).
For a complete list of all the bills signed by Governor Gavin Newsom, go to CAA’s website (caanet.org). CAA will also host a series of webinars that will go into more detail about the laws outlined above. Go to CAA’s website and check under “Education” for dates and times.
Debra Carlton is the California Apartment Association’s Executive Vice President of State Public Affairs.
MIKE STACK
In-Law Outlaws
written by VARIOUS AUTHORS
Legalize your in-law unit to avoid penalties and increase value.
Q.I’ve always believed my in-law unit to be a legal unit, but I recently found out it is unpermitted. The current resident has been living there for a few years. How should I move forward?
A.Years ago, housing providers had options. For starters, they could simply withdraw the unwarranted unit from housing use by securing demolition permits. The local rent law allowed a termination of tenancy in order “to demolish or to otherwise permanently remove the rental unit from housing use,” assuming the landlord has obtained all the necessary permits to do so. Owners confronted with the scenario of discovering unpermitted inlaws would often terminate the existing tenancy and convert the previously separately rented dwelling into something else, such as storage, additional living space for another apartment, or simply unused property.
But this practice mostly changed about a decade ago, when the City began to require housing providers to legalize as opposed to dismantle unwarranted housing. Thus, the Building Department stopped issuing removal permits and eased the pathway for owners to bring illegal units up to code and obtain certificates of occupancy once legalized. This policy coincides with the state’s push toward permitting and encouraging the construction of accessory dwelling units, or ADUs.
In prior eras, owners could ignore the situation while continuing to collect rent, as there was case law from the 1940s suggesting that inhabitants of even illegal units had a monetary obligation to pay for their housing. But that policy has also drastically changed.
Today, tenants living in unwarranted housing are now no longer evicted. Instead, they are afforded the opportunity to remain in their housing (subject, of course, to possible temporary removal while the landlord undertakes whatever steps are necessary to bring the space up to the requisite standards of a legalized rental.) That process could be as simple as upgrading some plumbing and electrical, or it could require extensive remodeling such as raising the ceiling height, creating a second pathway for egress and ingress, and/or properly constructing a new kitchen and bathroom.
Should the renovation process render the housing unsafe or uninhabitable, the occupants may be moved temporarily with proper notice and a relocation allowance, but upon completion, they must be given the right to return under the same general terms of tenancy that existed prior to displacement. That said, this current policy promotes safer—as well as more— housing, and long-term tenants no longer face the prospect of permanently losing their homes.
As for ignoring the situation while taking in rent, forget about it. Now, unlike in years past, housing providers are no longer entitled to demand or even collect monthly rent for unpermitted rentals. Newer case law and statutes made sure of that. The changes in the law allow tenants to claw back the rent they paid for unpermitted dwellings, as well as seek damages for unlawful business practices, and a host of other recognized claims. As such, and for this reason alone, it is no longer advisable to simply sit back and do nothing. Indeed, the courthouse is full of cases where tenants in non-legal housing either bring litigation against their landlords or, equally as common, stop paying rent and thwart any attempt by the landlord to process an eviction. Also, the liability surrounding unpermitted housing could be herculean. For instance, consider the owner who knowingly rents an apartment that lacks a second means of exit, and then a fire occurs that injures or kills the occupants. This operator is likely to lose everything and might even be criminally charged.
In sum, seize the opportunity to promptly legalize your unpermitted inlaw. Hire an architect and contractor to move ahead with proper plans and permits. If needed, pay to relocate the tenants while the work is occurring. At the end of the day, you will increase the value of your property and diminish the hideous problems that might arise should you pass on rectifying what can only be described as a most dangerous situation.
—Dave Wasserman
Q.A married couple who cosigned a lease is getting a divorce. One of them plans to stay in the apartment. Should I ask that person to sign a new lease without their ex-partner?
A. For many renters, rent control feels like an asset. In terms of housing costs, it resembles an amortized mortgage payment that stays the same as prices increase all around. But aside from waiver traps for the landlord and some tenant illegal activity, it’s not transferable or sellable (though the departing tenant very well might be walking away with the Nvidia stock as compensation in the dissolution agreement).
You’re wondering if you should have the remaining tenant sign a new lease, but you’re focusing on the wrong spouse. First, the “intermediate length occupancy” ordinance (the reason landlords can’t rent to, e.g., corporate rentals placing traveling nurses) also made it clear that the end of a term lease does not conclude the tenancy. The tenant who stays was your tenant on the original lease, and they remain your tenant once that lease expires, and their tenancy becomes month-to-month.
Having them sign a new lease (and presumably, you mean that you have only them sign the new lease) does nothing to conclude the contractual rights of the departing spouse. (In fact, you may create some confusing issues with enforcement if you try to impose the new lease in violation of Rent Board rule 12.20(a), prohibiting evictions based on unilaterally imposed terms.)
Now, you don’t care if the ex comes back to visit the cats or the kids (as the case may be). And unless this is the rare and unfortunate case of domestic violence, you really have no immediate stake in whether one or more of them asserts a claim of right to access the apartment based on their original lease.
Assuming you want closure as much as the tenant who initiated the breakup, you might ask the two of them to enter an agreement that lets the departing tenant off the lease, terminates their right of access and obligations, and confirms that the remaining tenant assumes sole liability. (Arguably, this is a “buyout” of the departing tenant, but I think you’d do fine just having them volunteer to terminate the lease since you’re not paying them or getting possession back.)
If you aren’t able to secure this kind of agreement, you should be fine—unless the remaining tenant one day decides to move on, and the departing one tries to opportunistically reacquire their old rent control. There’s an open question as to whether an “original occupant” can maintain the right to rent control without actually residing in the unit (returning later when another original occupant leaves). On the right facts, I think this gets decided in the landlord’s favor. Until that day comes, just try to keep clear records of occupancy. Feel free to even introduce your tenant to your single friends—as long as those friends understand they’re subsequent occupants.
—Justin A. Goodman
The information contained in this article is general in nature. Consult the advice of an attorney for any specific problem. Dave Wasserman is with Wasserman Offices and can be reached at 415-567-9600. Justin A. Goodman is with Zacks & Freedman, P.C. and can be reached at 415-956-8100.
Turn to page 55 for updated information on allowable rent increases, security deposit interest and more.
ROCKIN’ CANYON
the
Written by PAM MCELROY
A trophy-winning development redefines luxury and sustainability in San Francisco.
The Canyon’s location within Mission Rock connects residents to both the city’s buzz and its natural beauty.
SAN FRANCISCO’S SKYLINE IS CHANGING,
and at the forefront of this transformation is The Canyon, a twenty-three-story residential tower that won the “Best New Development” Trophy Award from the San Francisco Apartment Association at the end of last year. Situated within vibrant Mission Rock (aka “San Francisco’s newest waterfront neighborhood”), this exceptional property is much more than just a place to live—it’s a new model for urban luxury, sustainability, and community. Designed by the internationally acclaimed architecture firm MVRDV—in partnership with Tishman Speyer, San Francisco Giants, and the Port of San Francisco—The Canyon blends cutting-edge green design with world-class amenities, all set against the stunning backdrop of Mission Bay and the waterfront.
Whether you’re looking for energy-efficient living, a community-focused space, or simply a beautiful place to call home, The Canyon offers it all. The building’s recent SFAA Trophy Award underscores its remarkable ability to integrate luxury with environmental responsibility and a commitment to creating a connected, thriving neighborhood.
Mission Rock Modern Living
The Canyon is the first residential development in the Mission Rock district, a sprawling mixed-use
Right: Canyon residents enjoy epic views of Oracle Park, the San Francisco Skyline, and the Bay.
Top, Middle & Bottom: Interior shots of the residential units at The Canyon.
Photos by Jason O’Rear.
neighborhood located along the San Francisco waterfront. Anchored by the lush China Basin Park, Mission Rock offers residents five acres of outdoor space, including a dog park, a food truck plaza, and a one-acre great lawn for recreational activities. The district is designed to be a hub for wellness, work, and play, with spaces dedicated to running, biking, and kayaking, alongside ample opportunities to simply enjoy the beauty of Mission Bay.
For those who enjoy urban amenities, Mission Rock delivers in spades. The area boasts a variety of retail, dining, and entertainment options, with popular tenants like Ike’s Love and Sandwiches, Proper Food, and Luxfit. Arsicault Bakery and Quick Dog are coming soon, along with a fine dining experience by the renowned team behind Che Fico. Mission Rock is a vibrant place to live, work, and socialize.
The Canyon’s location within Mission Rock connects residents to both the city’s buzz and its natural beauty. To the north, Oracle Park, home of the San Francisco Giants, and Chase Center, home of the Golden State Warriors, offer world-class sports and entertainment. Nearby transit options—including the Muni Metro and Caltrain—make it easy to explore San Francisco and beyond, whether for work or leisure. Mission Rock is designed to be an energy-efficient district, with LEED Gold Neighborhood Certification in place, ensuring that residents are not only living in a vibrant neighborhood but also contributing to a sustainable future.
“Mission Rock offers residents the perfect blend of urban convenience and natural beauty,” says a spokesperson from Mission Rock Partners, the joint venture behind the development. “Living at The Canyon means you can enjoy the excitement of the city, while also benefiting from the calm and serenity of the waterfront.”
Green Design and Energy-Efficient Systems
What truly distinguishes The Canyon is its commitment to sustainability. In an era where environmental responsibility is paramount, the building sets a new standard for energy-efficient, eco-friendly luxury living. The building integrates the latest green technologies to minimize its environmental impact and maximize energy efficiency.
One of the most unique features of The Canyon is its energy system, which alternates usage times between commercial and residential needs, reducing the building’s overall energy consumption. Every apartment comes equipped with energy-efficient induction ranges and smart thermostats, while the building itself is designed to be carbon-free, with 100% recycling and wastewater treatment systems on-site.
The Canyon is situated at the waterfront in an area prone to rising sea levels. In keeping with its commitment to sustainable design, the landscaping and planting systems throughout the building have been carefully chosen to help defend against this potential threat, ensuring both the building and the broader Mission Rock neighborhood remain resilient for years to come.
“Sustainability is not just a trend for us at The Canyon—it’s a principle woven into every aspect of the design,” says a spokesperson from Greystar, the property’s management company. “From our innovative energy systems to our focus on reducing waste and conserving water, we are setting a new standard for green living in San Francisco.”
The Canyon also supports the idea of a District Energy System (DES), which connects buildings in the area to a shared energy grid, improving the overall efficiency of the neighborhood. As part of this integrated approach, The Canyon’s residents enjoy the
Top, Left, Middle & Bottom: Interior shots of the residential units at The Canyon.
Photos by Jason O’Rear.
Nob Hill | $2,300,000
• Excellent Nob Hill Location
• Six 2-Bed Units Plus One Studio
• Vacant 2-Bed Owner’s Unit
• $325 Per Square Foot
In Association with Gino Franco & Nico Toracca
Sunset District | $6,765,000 FOR SALE SOLD
• 36 Units
• 9.5 GRM
• 6.1% Cap Rate
• 100% Occupied
• Many Recent Capital Improvements
A Challenging Environment Has Created Unique Opportunities.
Rising interest rates have had a significant impact on the San Francisco sales market. Experience and first hand knowledge navigating these tricky times matters most. We are not guessing… You shouldn’t be either!
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• Immaculately Maintained
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As a San Francisco rental property owner, you are part of a highly regulated market. Fluctuating rent control laws, tenant protections, and ongoing legal changes require attention to detail to stay compliant and protect your property. One of the best ways to minimize risk and safeguard your investment is by using SFAA-vetted forms.
The San Francisco Apartment Association invests considerable effort into creating and maintaining legally compliant forms. With decades of experience navigating San Francisco’s complex rental laws, SFAA’s legal team—in collaboration with industry experts—prepares, updates, and vets each document to ensure compliance with both state law and the city’s unique ordinances, including rent control and tenant protection regulations. This thorough vetting process provides landlords with current, accurate, and user-friendly resources, minimizing the risk of legal disputes and costly violations.
SFAA’s forms are not only legally compliant but also designed to be clear and easy to use, helping landlords navigate the often-confusing tenant-landlord process with confidence and efficiency.
To access SFAA’s forms, go to sfaa.org/resources.
Legal Compliance
One of the primary reasons for using vetted forms is to ensure legal compliance. California and San Francisco’s rental laws are notoriously complex and subject to frequent changes. In fact, San Francisco has some of the strictest rent control regulations in the country. A landlord who fails to comply with these rules could face significant penalties, including fines, lawsuits, or even rent reduction orders. For example, if a rental agreement contains clauses that violate San Francisco’s rent control laws, the landlord might be required to reduce the rent to the original legal rate, potentially costing thousands of dollars.
By using vetted forms, landlords avoid these pitfalls. SFAA’s forms are designed with local laws in mind, ensuring that you are in compliance with both the state and city’s evolving rules. Whether it’s understanding which repairs are the landlord’s responsibility under San Francisco’s “just cause” eviction laws or ensuring that the rent charged complies with rent control, SFAA forms provide landlords with a shield against legal missteps.
Clarity and Transparency
Clear communication is essential in any landlord-tenant relationship. SFAA’s forms help create transparency by clearly defining the terms and conditions of the lease agreement.
Stay compliant and protect your investment with SFAA’s expertly vetted, user-friendly rental forms.
Written by PAM MCELROY
IN PERFECT FORM
This benefits both parties by setting expectations up front. For example, a detailed rental agreement should outline the rent amount, the due date, the duration of the lease, and the process for renewing or terminating the lease. It should also address issues such as late fees, repair responsibilities, and policies regarding pets or subletting.
When you use SFAA’s forms, both you and your tenant know exactly what is expected from each other. This clarity can significantly reduce misunderstandings and conflicts, ultimately saving you time and potential legal costs down the line. Having these terms in writing can also make it easier to resolve disputes, as both parties can refer to the original document.
Standardization
Standardized forms provide consistency, which is especially important for landlords who manage multiple units or properties. Using the same forms across all leases, notices, and other communications helps ensure that every tenant is on the same page and treated fairly. It also makes property management tasks easier, as landlords don’t have to customize each agreement or notice to fit the specifics of every situation.
Standardization also helps when referring to a past agreement or communicating with a new tenant. Having a consistent set of forms in your rental toolkit streamlines the entire process, from the initial lease signing to dealing with eviction notices. Plus, should you need to involve legal counsel or face a dispute, standardized forms are much easier to review and discuss with an attorney.
Risk Mitigation
Using SFAA’s forms is one of the most effective ways to mitigate legal and financial risks. The cost of an improperly written lease agreement can be steep. For example, improper handling of security deposits or lease termination clauses could lead to costly litigation or a tenant lawsuit.
Vetted forms help landlords avoid these risks by providing clear, legally binding terms less likely to lead to misunderstandings or misinterpretations. With forms tailored to meet local regulations, you also reduce the chances of inadvertently violating tenant protection laws, such as those that govern rent increases, eviction protections, or habitability standards. By using forms created by professionals with a deep understanding of local laws, landlords are less likely to find themselves on the wrong side of a legal battle.
Protection of Rights
While legal compliance and risk mitigation are crucial, SFAA forms also protect the rights of landlords and tenants.
FEE FOR THOUGHT?
Our industry has struggled in recent years over whether to demand a fee on rent received beyond the due date, or for payments returned for insufficient funds. Years ago, leases commonly permitted housing providers to charge a percentage of the rent, such as 5%, as a penalty. Indeed, in the commercial rental market, such practices remain commonplace. However, because residential residents are entitled to far greater consumer protection, the courts have increasingly scrutinized the imposition of late fees when a lessee fails to pay on time for whatever reason.
For starters, no fee may be issued unless the lease agreement expressly permits the assessment. The SFAA Residential Tenancy Agreement has allowed a charge for late payment of rent as well as for non-sufficient funds (NSF) payments in all prior versions, with the property owner filling in the actual amount of the fee. This year, for the first time, the lease authors have pre-set the rate at $50.00 per late payment, and even this figure is, for the reasons set forth below, legally questionable.
Courts have been increasingly skeptical of residential late fees. In Del Monte Properties & Investments, Inc. v. Dolan (2018), 26 Cal.App.5th Supp. 20, the appellate court reiterated that an automatic and set late fee must be reasonable because it resembles what is known as “liquidated damages.” To be valid under state law (Civil Code section 1671), a liquidated damages clause must be the result of a reasonable endeavor to approximate actual losses caused by the breach being compensated.
The late fee you charge must reflect the actual monetary loss you incurred as a result of receiving payment late. The court noted that setting the damages to a percentage of rent was, therefore, wrong. Citing an earlier case, Orozco v. Casimiro (2004) 121 Cal.App.4th Supp. 7, the Dolan court affirmed the rule that the losses caused by the tardy payment of residential rent shall be limited to (i) interest and (ii) administrative costs of collecting and accounting for the late rent, period. Moreover, the landlord bears the burden of proving these losses, meaning you must show through competent and admissible evidence that you incurred the monetary loss now claimed as a late fee.
The courts have also warned that calculating the losses caused by a tardy payment better be done before (not after) the lease is entered into. So, housing providers must compute and assess the resulting damage prior to including a late fee clause in the rental agreement. Composing this calculation after there is a breach is not acceptable. In addition, don’t even think about evicting someone for failing to pay assessed late fees. Your remedy lies in small claims court, not the unlawful detainer forum.
Tread lightly when imposing late fees. You will have to prove that interest and administrative costs justify the charge. Receiving a $2,000 rent payment on the sixth or seventh as opposed to the fourth or fifth likely won’t persuade a court that you lost $50. Instead, you may want to supplant going down this path with a stern warning email.
—Dave Wasserman
San Francisco’s rental market is unique in its level of tenant protection, which includes laws governing eviction, rent control, and tenant privacy.
SFAA’s lease agreement clearly outlines the rights and obligations of both parties, helping to prevent disputes over rent, maintenance, or lease renewals. For instance, it details your rights regarding entry into the unit, late fees, and non-payment of rent. At the same time, it ensures that tenants are fully informed of their rights, such as their right to a habitable unit and their ability to request repairs. With clear and mutually agreed-upon terms, both parties are protected.
Efficiency
When managing rental properties, time is often of the essence. Many tasks require prompt attention, from processing applications to collecting rent to handling maintenance requests. Using pre-vetted forms allows you to move more efficiently through the various stages of the leasing process.
Having a standardized lease agreement on hand speeds up the leasing process and ensures all required information is included. In turn, this efficiency reduces the chances of missing important clauses or overlooking details that could come back to haunt you later. Additionally, since SFAA’s forms have already been legally vetted, you avoid the need for constant consultations with an attorney, saving both time and money.
Record Keeping
Proper documentation is a cornerstone of sound property management. SFAA’s forms ensure that your records are consistent, complete, and legally compliant. From lease agreements to eviction notices to rent receipts, having clear and thorough documentation protects both you and your tenant.
These records can serve as vital evidence in a dispute or legal proceeding. San Francisco’s complex legal framework means that proper documentation can be the difference between a successful case and a costly legal defeat. By using SFAA’s forms, landlords ensure that they are keeping accurate, organized records that will stand up in court if necessary.
Conclusion
Using vetted forms is not just a good practice—it’s a necessary step toward ensuring legal compliance, protecting your investment, and maintaining smooth tenant relationships. SFAA’s effort to provide high-quality, legally compliant forms gives landlords the tools to stay on top of local regulations and avoid costly mistakes. With clarity, consistency, and legal protection, these forms make managing rental properties in San Francisco a simpler and more secure process.
To access SFAA’s forms, go to sfaa.org/resources.
Pam McElroy is the editor of SF Apartment Magazine.
sfaa2024calendar
sfaa 2024
January 2025
MONDAY, JANUARY 6
Board of Directors Meeting 11:30 a.m.
FRIDAY, JANUARY 24
Intellirent: Getting the Most Out of Your Technology Zoom
10:00 a.m. to. 11:00 a.m. FREE for SFAA Members Only
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 9
Fair Housing Rules Regarding Families & Children Zoom
1:00 p.m. to. 2:00 p.m. Members $45 Non-Members $65
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 28
Virtual Member Meeting 10:00 a.m. to. 11:00 a.m.
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 3
Board of Directors Meeting
11:30 a.m.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21
Intellirent: Creating a Listing That Works Zoom
10:00 a.m. to. 1100 a.m. FREE for SFAA Members Only
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 15
Virtual Member Meeting 10:00 a.m. to. 11:00 a.m.
TUESDAY, JANUARY 28
Tackling the Challenges of a Hoarding Tenant Zoom 11:00 a.m. to. 12:00 p.m.
Members $45 Non-Members $65
February 2025
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 12
Landlord & Tenant Updates 2025 Zoom
11:00 a.m. to. 12:00 p.m.
Members $45 Non-Members $65
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 25 Asset Protection Open Forum Zoom
2:00 p.m. to. 3:00 p.m. Members $45 Non-Members $65
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18
Landlord Etiquette Zoom
11:00 a.m. to. 12:00 p.m. Members $45 Non-Members $65
FRIDAY, JANUARY 17
Security Deposits Zoom
10:00 a.m. to. 11:00 a.m. FREE for SFAA Members Only
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 29
Five Tips to Prepare for Leak Prevention Zoom
11:00 a.m. to. 12:00 p.m. Members $45 Non-Members $65
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19 Virtual Member Meeting 10:00 a.m. to. 11:00 a.m.
SFAA office will be closed Wednesday, January 1, 2025 in observance of New Year’s Day and Monday, January 20, 2025 in observance of Martin Luther King Day and Monday, February 17, 2025 in observance of President’s Day.
SFAA’S TENANT SCREENING SERVICE
THROUGH INTELLIRENT
STEP 1:
Create a free account at sfaa. myintellirent.com/agent-signup.
STEP 2:
Invite an applicant to apply via an online application customized to SFAA’s criteria. You can also publish your available rental on Intellirent across mulitple ILSs.
RATES
Intellirent is your free, online rental application and property marketing tool, partnered with Transunion to instantly return complete credit reports and nationwide eviction notices. Renters pay the $40 application fee, which covers your costs. For more information, simply create your free account or go to sfaa.org and choose the “Resources” tab. Then select “Tenant Screening.”
Please note that the maximum you can charge a tenant for screening services is $49.12.
CONTACT INTELLIRENT FOR MORE INFORMATION:
415-849-4400
SAN FRANCISCO’S
CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS
The capital improvement interest rates for 3/1/24 through 2/28/25 are listed below:
ALLOWABLE RENT INCREASES
2025 - 2026: 1.4%
Effective March 1, 2024 through February 28, 2025, the allowable annual rent increase is 1.7%. This amount is based on 60% of the increase in the Consumer Price Index for all urban consumers in the Bay Area. A history of all allowable increases and their effective periods is provided. ALLOWABLE RENT INCREASES
03/01/25 - 02/28/26 1.4%
03/01/24 - 02/28/25 1.7%
03/01/23 - 02/29/24 3.6%
03/01/22 - 02/28/23 2.3%
03/01/21 - 02/28/22 .7%
03/01/20 - 02/28/21 1.8%
03/01/19 - 02/29/20 2.6%
03/01/18 - 02/28/19 1.6%
03/01/17 - 02/28/18 2.2%
03/01/16 - 02/29/17 1.6%
03/01/15 - 02/29/16 1.9%
03/01/14 - 02/28/15 1.0%
03/01/13 - 02/28/14 1.9%
03/01/12 - 02/28/13 1.9%
03/01/11 - 02/29/12 0.5%
03/01/10 - 02/28/11 0.1%
03/01/09 - 02/28/10 2.2%
03/01/08 - 02/28/09 2.0%
03/01/07 - 02/29/08 1.5%
INTEREST ON DEPOSITS
Deposits include all tenant monies that the owner holds, regardless of what they are called. At the landlord’s option, the payment may be made directly to the tenant or by allowing the tenant to deduct the amount of interest due from the rental payment.
INTEREST ON DEPOSITS PERIOD AMOUNT
03/01/24 - 02/29/25 5.2%
03/01/23 - 02/29/24 2.3%
03/01/22 - 02/28/23 0.1%
03/01/21 - 02/28/22 0.6%
03/01/20 - 02/28/21 2.2%
03/01/19 - 02/29/20 2.2%
03/01/18 - 02/28/19 1.2%
03/01/17 - 02/28/18 0.6%
03/01/16 - 02/28/17 0.2%
03/01/15 - 02/29/16 0.1%
03/01/14 - 02/28/15 0.3%
03/01/13 - 02/28/14 0.4%
03/01/12 - 02/28/13 0.4%
03/01/11 - 02/29/12 0.4%
03/01/10 - 02/28/11 0.9%
03/01/09 - 02/28/10 3.1%
03/01/08 - 02/28/09 5.2%
03/01/07 - 02/29/08 5.2%
RENT BOARD FEE
$29.50
Chapter 37A of San Francisco’s Administrative Code allows the city to collect a per-unit fee for each residential dwelling unit that is subject to the San Francisco Rent Ordinance. This fee defrays the entire cost of operation of the Rent Board. If you are an owner of a residential dwelling unit or guest unit, you must pay a Rent Board Fee by March 1 of each year unless you have a current exemption on file with the Rent Board or a Homeowners’ Exemption on file with the Office of the Assessor-Recorder.
While this fee was previously collected on the property tax bill, owners must pay this fee to the Rent Board directly as of 2022. Payment can be made through the Rent Board Portal. ALLOWABLE RENT BOARD FEE COLLECTABLE FROM TENANTS
7
03/01/06 - 02/28/07 1.7%
SAN FRANCISCO RENT BOARD
25 Van Ness Avenue #320 San Francisco, CA 94102 415-252-4600 www.sfgov.org/rentboard
SFAA Professional Services Directory
1031 TAX DEFERRED
EXCHANGE SERVICES
FIRST AMERICAN EXCHANGE COMPANY
Lisa Jackson 415-244-1339 lisajackson@firstam.com
SEQUENT
Eric Scaff 415-834-1031 sequent-rewm.com escaff@sequent-rewm.com
ACCOUNTANTS
SHWIFF, LEVY & POLO LLP
Elizabeth Shwiff 415-291-8600 x232 www.slpconsults.com
ALARM COMPANY
AEC ALARMS
Yat-Cheong Au 408-298-8888 Ext: 188 sales@aec-alarms.com
ARCHITECTURE
OPENSCOPE STUDIO ARCHITECTS
Mark Hogan 415-891-0954 www.openscopestudio.com
Q ARCHITECTURE
Dawn Ma 415-695-2700 www.que-arch.com
ASSOCIATIONS
PROFESSIONAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION
Renee A. Engelen www.ppmaofsf.org renee@hrhrealestate.com
ATTORNEYS
BARTH CALDERON, LLP
Paul Hitchcock 415-577-4685 Paul@barthattorneys.com All languages welcome
BORNSTEIN LAW
Daniel Bornstein, Esq. 415-409-7611 www.bornstein.law
BRETT GLADSTONE
Brett Gladstone 415-3945188 bgladstone@g3mh.com
CHONG LAW
Dolores Chong 415-437-7807 chongdolores@earthlink.net
DOWLING & MARQUEZ, LLP
Jak S. Marquez 415-977-0444 x232 www.dowlingmarquez.com
Spanish
FRANK KIM ESQ., EVICTION ASSISTANCE
Jo Biel 415-752-6070
Spanish, Korean, Cantonese and Mandarin
FRIED, WILLIAMS & GRICE CONNER, LLP
David Semel 415-421-0100 dsemel@friedwilliams.com
Clifford Fried cfried@friedwilliams.com Farsi, French, Portuguese, Spanish
HERZIG & BERLESE
Barbara Herzig 415-861-8800 bherzig@hbcondolaw.com
ILENE M. HOCHSTEIN, ATTORNEY AT LAW
Ilene Hochstein 650-877-8288 ilene@hochsteinlaw.net
KIMBALL, TIREY & ST. JOHN LLP
Kelli Dodson 800-525-1690 kelli.dodson@kts-law.com www.kts-law.com
LAW OFFICES OF KOSTER & LEADBETTER, LLP
Denise Leadbetter 415-713-8680 denise@kosterleadbetterlaw.com www.kosterleadbetterlaw.com
LAW OFFICE OF JULIANA E. PISANI
Juliana Pisani 415-800-7562 Juliana@jpisanilaw.com Italian
LAW OFFICES OF LAWRENCE M. SCANCARELLI
Lawrence M. Scancarelli 415-398-1644 www.sfrealestatelaw.com
MASTROMONACO REAL PROPERTY LAW GROUP
Leonard Mastromonaco 415-354-2702 len@mastrolawgroup.com
LAW OFFICE OF MICHAEL C. JOHNSTON Michael Johnston 650-343-5050 johnston-gomez@msn.com
NIVEN & SMITH
Leo M. LaRocca 415-981-5451 leo@nivensmith.com
NIXON PEABODY
Ashley Klein 415-984-8390 aklein@kdvlaw.com
REUBEN, JUNIUS & ROSE, LLP
Kevin Rose 415-567-9000 www.reubenlaw.com
SHEPPARD-UZIEL LAW FIRM
Jaime Uziel 415-296-0900 ju@sheppardlaw.com
SINGER & SCOTT, P.C. Edward Singer 650-393-5862 www.edsinger.net
SJR LAW CORPORATION
Shoshana Raphael 415-408-6044 shoshana@sjrlawfirm.com
STEINER LAW OFFICE
Michael Heath 415-931-4207 mheath@mheathlaw.com
STEVEN ADAIR MACDONALD & ASSOCIATES, PC
Steven Adair MacDonald 415-956-6488 www.samlaw.net sam@samlaw.net Mandarin, Cantonese & Spanish
TRN LAW ASSOCIATES
Tiffany R. Norman 415-823-4566 tiffany@trnlaw.com www.trnlaw.com
UTRECHT & LENVIN, LLP
Patrick Connolly 415-357-0600 pconnolly@ullawfirm.com www.ullawfirm.com
WASSERMAN
Dave Wasserman 415-567-9600
Dave@wassermanoffices.com www.davewassermansf.com
WIEGEL LAW GROUP
Andrew J. Wiegel 415-552-8230 www.wiegellawgroup.com
ZACKS & FREEDMAN, PC
Andrew M. Zacks 415-956-8100 www.zfplaw.com
ZANGHI TORRES ARSHAWSKY, LLP
John P. Zanghi 415-977-0444 www.zatlaw.com
BEDBUG DETECTION
CROWN & SHIELD PEST SOLUTIONS-PREMIER
Aurora Garcia-Vidaca 415-893-9551 www.crownandshieldpestsolutions.com
PREMIER CANINE DETECTION
Jordan Garcia 415-612-6645 www.premiercaninedectection.com
CLEANING SERVICE
SF BLIND CLEANERS
Andy Dovchin 415-523-0404 andy@sfblindcleaners.com www.sfblindcleaners.com
STANLEY STEEMER
Sanjay Bhandari 215-206-0748 stanleysteemersf@gmail.com www.stanleysteemer.com
COMMERCIAL/RETAIL
LEASING SERVICES
BLATTEIS REALTY CO.
David Blatteis 415-981-2844 www.sfretail.net
CONSTRUCTION
FIRST ONSITE
Joseph Dito 510-391-2980 joe.dito@firstonsite.com www.firstonsite.com
PODS
Chad Schutt 310-270-5127 cschutt@pods.com
CONSULTANTS
AMY HULL CONSULTING LLC
Amy Hull 415-450-5809 nj-aeh@outlook.com
CONSULTANTS: PERMITS &
PLANNING
EDRINGTON AND ASSOCIATES
Steven Edrington 510-749-4880
steve@edringtonandassociates.com
CONTRACTORS
C & J’S CUSTOM BUILDS INC.
Caleb Wyman 415-209-8439
caleb@c-jcustombuilds.com www.c-jcustombuilds.com
CORPORATE RENTALS
AMSI
Robb Fleischer 415-447-2020 www.amsires.com
CREDIT REPORTING
INTELLIRENT
Cassandra Joachim 415-849-4400 www.myintellirent.com
DRAIN SERVICES
PRIBUSS ENGINEERING, INC.
Selina Pribuss 650-588-0447
selina.p@pribuss.com www.pribuss.com
Nick Capurro 650-737-4554 nick.c@pribuss.com
EMERGENCY SERVICES
THE GREENSPAN CO./ ADJUSTERS INTERNATIONAL
Rebecca Holloway 707-540-5584 rebecca@greenspan-ai.com
ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTING
ADVIRO
Alma Soto 408-512-2912 almas@goadviro.com www.goadviro.com
P.W. STEPHENS ENVIRONMENTAL
Sheri Buenz 510-651-9506 sherib@pwsei.com
EV CHARGING
URBAN EV Alexander Grant 971-275-7365 alex@urbanev.com
FACADE INSPECTIONS
BORNE CONSULTING
Cade Osborne 415-319-4789 cade@borne-consulting.com borne-consulting.com/
FIRE ESCAPE INSPECTION & MAINTENANCE
ACCOLADE RESTORATION INC.
ANTHONY CUELLAR 650-387-8524 accoladercinc@gmail.com www.accoladeconstruct.com
ESCAPE ARTISTS
Ben Maxon 415-279-6113 www.sfescapeartists.com
GREAT ESCAPE SERVICES
Terry Walsh 415-566-1479 www.greatescapeservice.com
FIRE PROTECTION CONTRACTORS
A-TOTAL FIRE PROTECTION COMPANY, INC.
Monte L. Osborn, CEO
Tyler Osborn, CFO 530-672-8495 accounting@atotalfireprotection.com www.atotalfireprotection.com
AEC ALARMS 628-208-0188 SFfire@aec-alarms.com
EMERGENCY SYSTEMS, INC.
Eric Hagerman 415-564-0400 esmfire@earthlink.net
PRIBUSS ENGINEERING, INC.
Selina Pribuss 650-588-0447
selina.p@pribuss.com www.pribuss.com
Nick Capurro 650-737-4554 nick.c@pribuss.com
REDWOOD CITY ALARMS, INC. Christopher Cicero 650-362-4841 redwoodcityalarms@gmail.com www.redwoodcityalarms.com
GARAGE DOORS
R&S ERECTION OF SAN FRANCISCO
Sarah Taylor 415-981-7590 sarah@rsdoor.com www.rsdoors-sf.com
GARBAGE COLLECTION SERVICES
RECOLOGY GOLDEN GATE RECYCLING Minna Tao 415-575-2423 recologysf.com
RECOLOGY SUNSET SCAVENGER Dan Negron 415-330-2911 recologysf.com
VALET LIVING
Tia LaNae Chambers 707-912-5153 tia.chambers@valetliving.com
HUMAN RESOURCES
INTERSOLTUTIONS, LLC jhong@intersolutions.com
INSPECTIONS
PACIFIC COAST REAL ESTATE INSPECTIONS
Christopher D. Hesson 415-516-8110 PCREinspections@gmail.com
INSURANCE COMPANIES
ARM MULTI INSURANCE SERVICES
Lisa Isom 866-913-6293 www.arm-i.com
BARBARY INSURANCE BROKERAGE Gerald Becerra 415-788-4700 www.barbaryinsurance.com
COMMERCIAL COVERAGE INSURANCE AGENCY
Paul Tradelius 415-436-9800 www.comcov.com
GORDON ASSOCIATES INSURANCE SERVICES
Dave Gordon, CLU 650-654-5555x6972 David.gordon@gordoninsurance.com
LENDING / FINANCIAL SERVICES
BANK OF SAN FRANCISCO
Margaret Mak 415-930-3383
margaret.mak@bankbsf.com www.bankbsf.com
CHASE Michelle Li 415-794-2176 www.ff-inc.com
JPMORGAN CHASE
Behzad Boroumand 415-315-5255 behzad.boroumand@chase.com jpmorgan.com/commercial-real-estate
LOCKSMITHS
CROWN LOCK & HARDWARE
Joe Schoepp 415-221-9086
MAINTENANCE REPAIR SERVICE
GREENTREE MAINTENANCE
Yvonne Figueroa 415-854-9495
Figueroa@veritasinv.com
MAVEN MAINTENANCE, INC.
Craig Lipton 415-829-2207 www.mavenmaintenance.com
ONE STOP MAINTENANCE
John Flaxa 650-296-4947 info@onestopmaintenance.co www.onestopmaintenance.co
SURFACE EXPERTS OF SAN FRANCISCO NORTH
Jason F. Johnson 415-942-4402 jjohnson@surfaceexperts.com www.surfaceexperts.com
WEST COAST PROPERTY MANAGEMENT
Joseph Keng 415-885-6970 ext. 101 www.wcpm.com
MARKETING
OPINIION
Evan Reyne 855-330-9980 evanr@opiniion.com
MEDIATION
THE BAR ASSOCIATION OF SAN FRANCISCO CONFLICT INTERVENTION SERVICE
Scott Goering 415-782-8940 sgoering@sfbar.org
MOVING COMPANIES
CLUTCH MOVING COMPANY
Steven Mandac 650-425-0353 sales@clutchmovingcompany.com www.clutchmovingcompany.com
PODS
Lee A. Wohlwerth 279-444-9733 lwohl@pods.com
PAINTING CONTRACTORS
DUNN-EDWARDS CORPORATION
Daniela Franco 415-656-9951 daniela.franco@dunnedwards.com
JH PAINTING LLC
Jesus Hernandez 415-531-7033 dezpainting@gmail.com
KRUIT PAINTING, INC.
Pieter Kruit 415-254-7818 www.kruitpainting.com
PAC WEST PAINTING INC.
Brian Beaulieu 415-457-0724 www.pacwestpaintinginc.com
PETERS PAINTING SERVICES
Peter Pantazelos 415-647-4722 www.peterspainting.com
TARA PRO PAINTING INC.
Brian Layden 415-822-2011 www.tarapropainting.com
PEST CONTROL
ATCO PEST & TERMITE CONTROL & HOME RESTORATION
Richard Estrada 415-898-2282 www.atcopestcontrol.com
BANNER PEST SERVICES
Brad Erekson 650-678-2300 brad@bannerpc.com www.bannerpc.com
CROWN & SHIELD PEST SOLUTIONS-PREMIER
Aurora Garcia-Vidaca 415-893-9551 www.crownandshieldpestsolutions.com
PLUMBING & HEATING
C.R. REICHEL ENGINEERING CO. INC. Tim Lordier 415-431-7100 www.crreichel.com
FAST RESPONSE PLUMBING & ROOTER
Joseph Tinsley (415) 596-6115 frpservicesf@gmail.com www.fastresponseplumbingsf.com
FLOW MASTERS PLUMBING, INC
Mark Bush (510) 303-9550 mark@flowmastersplumbing.com
PRIBUSS ENGINEERING, INC.
Selina Pribuss 650-588-0447 selina.p@pribuss.com www.pribuss.com
Nick Capurro 650-737-4554 nick.c@pribuss.com
R & L PLUMBING
Larry Bustillos 415- 651-4977 larry@rl.plumbing www.rlplumbingsanfrancisco.com
URGENT ROOTER AND PLUMBING INC.
Albert Lee 415-387-8163 urgentrtr@sbcglobal.net
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
MELGAR REAL ESTATE SERVICES
Suzy Melgar 650-745-8186 info@mresbayareahomes.com
PROPERTY MANAGEMENT
2B LIVING
Brooks Baskin 650-763-8552 brooks@twobliving.com www.twobliving.com
ABACUS PROPERTY MANAGEMENT Timothy Cannon 415-841-2105 tim@sanfranrealestate.com www.abacuspropertymanagement.com
ADVENT PROPERTIES, INC.
Benjamin Scott, CCRM 510-289-1184 www.adventpropertiesinc.com
ALEXANDERSON PROPERTIES
Eric Alexanderson 415-285-3737 alexandersonproperties.com alexanderson08@yahoo.com
Property Management Members
The following members are SFAA Property Management Members. They fully support the organization and are dedicated to SFAA’s goals. For more information about the benefits of becoming a Property Management Member, contact Maria Shea at maria@sfaa.org or 415-255-2288 x 110.
ADVENT PROPERTIES, INC.
Benjamin Scott, CCRM 510-289-1184 www.adventpropertiesinc.com
AMSI
Robb Fleischer 415-447-2020 www.amsires.com
CECCHINI REALTY CO.
Dante Cecchini, CCRM 415-550-8855 www.cecchinirealty.com
CITYWIDE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT
Carol Cosgrove 415-552-7300 www.citywidesf.com
DEWOLF
William Talmage 415-221-2032 www.dewolfsf.com
GAETANI REAL ESTATE
Paul Gaetani 415-668-1202 www.gaetanirealestate.com
GREENTREE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT 415-828-8757 www.greentreepmco.com
GORDON CLIFFORD PROPERTIES, INC.
Patrick Clifford 415-613-7694 patrick@gcpropertiessf.com
HRH REAL ESTATE SERVICES CORPORATION
Renee A. Engelen (415) 810-6020 www.hrhrealestate.com
J. WAVRO PROPERTY MANAGEMENT
James Wavro 415-509-3456 www.jwavro.com
LINGSCH REALTY
Natalie M. Drees 415-648-1516 www.lingschrealty.com
PAUL LANGLEY COMPANY
Misha Langley 415-431-9104 x 301 misha@plco.net
PONTAR REAL ESTATE
Merri Pontar 415-421-2877 www.pontarrealestate.com
PROGRESSIVE PROPERTY GROUP
Dace Dislere & Joe Gillach 415-515-4329
REAL MANAGEMENT COMPANY
J.J. Panzer 415-821-3167 www.RMCsf.com
S&L REALTY
Robert Link 415-386-3111 www.slrealty-sf.com
STRUCTURE PROPERTIES
Corey Eckert 415-794-0064 www.structureproperties.com
SUTRO PROPERTY MANAGEMENT, INC.
Salman Shariat 415-341-8774 www.sutroproperties.com
VERTEX PROPERTY GROUP
Craig Berendt 415-608-3050 vertexsf.com
WEST & PRASZKER REALTORS
Michael Klestoff 415-661-5300 www.wprealtors.com
WEST COAST PROPERTY MANAGEMENT
Eric Andresen 415-885-6970 www.wcpm.com
VESTA ASSET MANAGEMENT
Paul Griffiths 415-994-3033 paul@vesta-assetmanagement.com
AMERICAN CAMPUS COMMUNITIES
Hannah Lawson (415) 413-7845
lroos@hollandpartnergroup.com www.hollandresidential.com
AMORE REAL ESTATE, INC
Jerry Hsieh 415-567-4800 www.amoresf.com
ANCHOR PROPERTIES MANAGEMENT LLC Anton Qiu 415-722-6452 anton@apcap.us
ANCHOR REALTY Mark Campana 415-621-2700 mark@anchorealtyinc.com www.anchorealtyinc.com
ARTAL PROPERTIES
John Artal 415-647-4400 artalproperties@gmail.com www.artalproperties.com
AYS MANAGEMENT
Kevin Newsome 510-708-0165 ayspropertymanager@gmail.com
BANCAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT Tammy McNaught (415) 397-1044 accountingoperations@bancalsf.com tammy@bancalsf.com
BAY PROPERTY GROUP Anna Katz 510-836-0110 anna@baypropertygroup.com www.baypropertygroup.com
BAYVIEW PROPERTY MANAGERS James Blanding 415-822-8793 xt.4 bayview60@comcast.net www.bayviewpropertymanagers.com
BEAM PROPERTIES, INC. Darius Chan 415-254-8679 darius@sfbeam.com
BETTER PROPERTY MANAGEMENT Steven Brown 415-861-9980 sbrown@bpm-re.com
BLVD RESIDENTIAL Debbie Brackett 650-328-5050 dbrackett@blvdresidential.com www.blvdresidential.com
BOARDWALK INVESTMENTS Marilyn Andrews 650-355-5556 ma@boardwalkrents.com
BRIDGES PROPERTY MANAGEMENT GROUP Patricia Lee 415-205-7401 pleehomes@gmail.com
BROOKFIELD PROPERTY GROUPPRESIDIO LANDMARK Jon King 855-327-5376 jon.king@brookfieldproperties.com
CANNIZZARO REALTY John Cannizaro 415-795-2360 john@cannizzaro-realty.com
CANTRELL ASSOCIATES CORPORATION Jim Cantrell 415-956-6000 jimcha@pacbell.net
CAROL DINEEN REALTY Carol Dineen 415-212-8087 support@caroldineenrealty.com
CECCHINI REALTY Dante Cecchini (650) 255-5273 info@cecchinirealty.com
CENTERSTONE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT Ron Erickson 415-626-9944 rjerickson@sbcglobal.net
CIRRUS ASSET MANAGEMENT
Paolo Pedrazzoli 818-808-3530 ppedrazzoli@Cirrusami.com
CITIBROKERS REAL ESTATE, INC.
Jason Abbey (415) 221-5000
Jason@citibrokersrealestate.com
CITYWIDE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT
Carol Cosgrove 415-552-7300 www.citywidesf.com
COIT TOWER PROPERTIES
Yoshi Yamada 415-447-6834 Yoshicoit@yahoo.com
CONSOLIDATED PROPERTY MANAGEMENT EIC GROUP, INC.
Penny Pan 415-682-0708 office@cpmbayarea.com
CORCORAN ICON PROPERTIES
Dawn Cusulos 415-678-8854 dawn.cusulos@corcoranicon.com
CROSSBAY GROUP INC 408-512-4366
Eclipse Property Management Inc.
Terrence Tom 510-865-8700 x303 ttom@eclipsepm.net
EBALDC
Felicia Scruggs 510-287-5353 FScruggs@ebaldc.org
FOGCITI REAL ESTATE INC. PROPERTY MANAGEMENT
Paul Mora 415-674-1440 pmora@fogciti.com
FOUNDATION RENTALS & RELOCATION, INC.
Christopher Barrow 415-507-9600 cb@foundationhomes.com
GAETANI REAL ESTATE
Paul Gaetani 415-668-1202 www.gaetanirealestate.com
GEARY REAL ESTATE, INC.
Melissa Geary melissa@gearyrealestateinc.com
GEORGE GOODWIN REALTY, INC.
Chris Galassi 415-681-1265 cgalassi@goodwin-realty.com www.goodwin-realty.com
GOLDEN GATE PROPERTIES
Ferdinand Piano 415-498-0066 ferdinand@g2properties.com
GREENTREE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT
Scott Moore 415-828-8757 www.greentreepmco.com
GM GREEN REAL ESTATE INC.
George Green 415-608-6485 ggreen@gmgreen.com www.gmgreen.com
GORDON CLIFFORD PROPERTIES, INC.
Patrick Clifford 415-613-7694 patrick@gcpropertiessf.com
HOGAN & VEST INC.
Simon Wong 415-421-7116 hoganvest.com
HRH REAL ESTATE SERVICES CORPORATION
Renee A. Engelen 415-810-6020 www.hrhrealestate.com
INCOME PROPERTY SPECIALISTS
Clayton Llewellyn 408-446-0848 www.ipsmanagement.cc
JACKSON GROUP
PROPERTY MANGEMENT, INC.
Raymond Scarabosio 415-608-8300 ray@jacksongroup.net
JAMES D. MULLIN REAL ESTATE BROKER
James D. Mullin 415-470-0450 jamesdmullinre@gmail.com
JD MANAGEMENT GROUP, INC.
Jonathan Davis 510-387-7792 jonathan.davis@jdmginc.com
KEYOPP PROPERTY MANAGEMENT
Melanie Leung 628-888-6650 support@keyopp.net
KREMSDORF PROPERTIES
Jeff Kremsdorf (415) 902-2883 jeff@kremsdorf.com
LEADING PROPERTIES
Patrick Boushell 415-346-8600 x102 pboushell@leading-sf.com
LINGSCH REALTY
Natalie M. Drees 415-648-1516 www.lingschrealty.com
LUCAS & COMPANY
Susan Lucas 415-722-4724 susan@thelucascompany.com
M PROPERTIES
Mark Mangampat mark@mproperties.com
MAG MANAGEMENT
Lana August lanaml@gaehwiler.com
MARSHALL & CO. PROPERTY MANAGEMENT
Marshall Jainchill marshall@marshallproperty.com
MAVEN MAINTENANCE, INC.
Craig Lipton 415-305-7506 lipton@maveninvestments.com www.mavenmaintenance.com
MCKEEVER REALTY
Chuck Lewkowitz chucklewkowitz@gmail.com
MERIDIAN MANAGEMENT GROUP
Randall Chapman 415-434-9700 www.mmgprop.com
MILLENNIUM FLATS
Carlos Carbajal 415-420-6290 carlos@millenniumflats.com
MORLEY FREDERICKS
REAL ESTATE SERVICES
Steve Morley 415-722-4724 susan@thelucascompany.com
MOSSER COMPANY
Neveo Mosser 415-284-9000 nmosser@mosserco.com
NICE VENTURES INC
Laurie Thomas laurie@niceventures.com
NORTHPOINT APARTMENTS
Taylor Ownes-Kees 415-989-2007 towenskees@northpointsf.com www.thenorthpointapartments.com
ONERENT DBA POPLAR HOMES
Nicole Cheatham 408-381-3157 nicole@popularhomes.com
OPEN WORLD PROPERTIES
Jonathan Daryl Fleming 510-250-0946 jonathan@openworldproperties.com www.Openworldproperties.Com
ORVICK MANAGEMENT GROUP
David Orvick 408-497-1880
david@orvprop.com
PACIFIC REALTY
Kristine Delagnes 415-923-1100 kristine@pacificrealtyco.com www.pacificrealtyco.com
PAUL LANGLEY COMPANY
Misha Langley 415-431-9104 x 301 misha@plco.net
PEAK REALTY GROUP
James C. Keighran 415-474-7325 info@peakrealtygroup.com www.peakrealtygroup.com
PILLAR CAPITAL REAL ESTATE
Jonathan Ng 415-885-9584 jonathan@thepillarcapital.com
PIP INC./SFRENT
Sarosh Kumana 415-861-4554 sarosh@sfrent.net www.sfrent.net
PMREI
Paul McLean 415-999-1407 pmrei@outlook.com
PODESTO PROPERTIES
Gina Enriquez 415-794-7125 gandpofsf@aol.com
PONTAR REAL ESTATE
Merri Pontar 415-421-2877 www.pontarrealestate.com
THE PRADO GROUP, INC. Andrea Hayes 415-395-0880 frontdesk@pradogroup.com
PRIME METROPOLIS PROPERTIES, INC. Tom Chan 415-731-0303 tomchan@pmp1988.com
PRO EQUITY AM Tori Linnell 916-838-2804 vlinnell@proequityam.com
PROGRESSIVE PROPERTY GROUP
Dace Dislere 415-794-9727 www.progressivesf.com
RAJ PROPERTIES
Jennifer Mayo 559-587-1318 mainoffice2@rajproperties.com www.rajproperties.com
RALSTON MANAGEMENT GROUP Keith Jurcazak 650-303-3182 kj@ralstonmanagementgroup.com www.ralstonmanagementgroup.com
RAMSEY PROPERTIES
Brian E. Ramsey 415-474-5175 Brian@RamseyPropertiesSF.com
REAL MANAGEMENT COMPANY J.J. Panzer 415-821-3167 www.RMCsf.com
RENTWISE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT Brandon Temple 650-346-2006 Brandon@gorentwise.com
ROCKAWAY RESIDENTIAL MANAGEMENT Kristine Abbey 650-290-3084 kristine@rockawayresidential.com rockawayresidential.com
ROCKWELL PROPERTIES
Mark Kaplan 415-398-2400 propertymanagement@rockwellproperties.com
RNB PROPERTY MANAGEMENTGOLDEN GATE
Kaveh Gorgani 415-413-3827 kaveh@rnbemail.com www.rnbgoldengate.com
RPM MANAGEMENT GROUP
Dipak Patel 415-672-1203 dipak@rpmmg.com
RYEBREAD PROPERTIES, INC.
Ryan Siu 415-385-8891 ryan@ryebreadproperties.com www.ryebreadproperties.com
SALMA & COMPANY
Ryan Salma 415-931-8259 propertymanager@salma-co.com www.salma-co.com
SHAREVEST PROPERTY MANAGEMENT, LLC
Timothy D. Gilmartin 650-347-2020 tim@thegilmartins.com
SIGNATURE REALTY PROPERTY MANAGEMENT
Paul Montalvo 650-364-3167 paul@paulmontalvo.com
SIERRA PROPERTY PROFESSIONALS
Sonali Herrera sierrappinc@gmail.com
SILVER CREEK PROPERTY MANAGEMENT
Jonathan Arguello 925-600-1818 jmsilvercreek@sbcglobal.net www.teamsilvercreek.com
SKYLINE PMG, INC.
Nicholas Bowers 415-968-9903 Nicholas@skylinepmg.com
STRUCTURE PROPERTIES
Corey Eckert 415-794-0064 www.structureproperties.com
SUTRO PROPERTY MANAGEMENT, INC.
Salman Shariat 415-341-8774 www.SutroProperties.com
TAPESTRY PROPERTIES
Roger Fong 415-334-6120 tapproperties2010@gmail.com
TOWER RENTS
Anthony Harkins 415-377-7571 tony@towerrents.com
UNITY HOMES
Sherry Brown (520) 338-7731 sbrown@unityhomes.org
VERTEX PROPERTY GROUP
Craig Berendt 415-608-3050 csb@vertexsf.com www.vertexsf.com
VESTA ASSET MANAGEMENT
Paul Griffiths 415-994-3033 paul@vesta-assetmanagement.com
VIVE REAL ESTATE
Mharla Ortega 415-495-4739 x1010 mharla@letsvive.com www.letsvive.com
WEST COAST PROPERTY MANAGEMENT
Eric Andresen 415-885-6970 www.wcpm.com
WEST & PRASZKER REALTORS
Michael Klestoff 415-699-3266 www.wprealtors.com
WICKLOW MANAGEMENT
Mike O’Neill 415-928-7377 wicklowmanagement@gmail.com www.wicklowsf.com
WILLIAM BOGGS
William Boggs 415-269-0689 sfboggsz@yahoo.com
YMPG
Yelena Gelzer 415-260-6325 yglezer@ympg-management.com
ZIPRENT
Arvand Sabetian 415-688-6660 admin@ziprent.com www.ziprent.com
PROPERTY MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE
APPFOLIO
Mindy Sorenson 888-700-8299 mindy.sorenson@appfolio,com
DOOR LOOP
Maria Barbera 888-607-3667 mbarbera@doorlopp.com
RENT RAISERS
Michelle L. Horneff-Cohen 415-661-3860 www.propertymanagementsystems.net
YARDI
Kelly Krier 805-699-2040 kelly.krier@yardi.com
REAL ESTATE APPRAISALS
MARK WATTS COMMERCIAL APPRAISAL Mark Watts 415-990-0025 www.markwattscommercialappraisal.com
REAL ESTATE
BROKERS & AGENTS
BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY
FRANCISCAN PROPERTIES
Edward Milestone 415-994-5969 MilestoneRealEstateSF@gmail.com
BIG TREE PROPERTIES
Evan Matteo 415-305-4931 evan@bigtreeproperties.com
BRICK & MORTAR REAL ESTATE SERVICES Eyal Katz 415-990-6762 eyal@brickandmortarsf.com
CHUCK & ASSOCIATES
Kevin Chuck 415-595-5832 chuckassoc@gmail.com
COLDWELL BANKER COMMERCIAL NRT Steven Caravelli 415-229-1367 steven.caravelli@cbnorcal.com
COLLIERS INTERNATIONAL- JAMES DEVINCENTI James Devincenti 415-288-7848 www.THEDLTEAM.com
COLLIERS INTERNATIONAL Payam Nejad 415-288-7872 www.colliers.com/payam.nejad
COMPASS Tim Johnson 415-710-9000 tim.johnson@compass.com www.timjohnsonsf.com
COMPASS Allison Chapleau 415-516-0648 allison@allisonchapleau.com www.allisonchapleau.com
COMPASS COMMERCIAL BROKERAGE John Antonini 415-794-9510 john@antoninisf.com
COMPASS COMMERCIAL BROKERAGE Chris J. Connor chris.oconnor@compass.com
COMPASS COMMERCIAL BROKERAGE Adam Filly 415-516-9843 adam@adamfilly.com
COMPASS COMMERCIAL BROKERAGE Jay Greenberg 415-378-6755 jay@jayhgreenberg.com
COMPASS COMMERCIAL Mirella Webb 415-640-4133 mirella.webb@compass.com
CROSSBAY GROUP INC. Eric Chang 408-512-4366 erictingchang@gmail.com
FERRIGNO REAL ESTATE Chris Ferrigno 415-641-0661 www.ferrignorealestate.com
HRH REAL ESTATE SERVICES CORPORATION Renee A. Engelen 415-810-6020 www.hrhrealestate.com
ICON REAL ESTATE INC. Jason Quashnofsky 415-370-7077 jason@iconsf.com
KENNEY & EVEREST REAL ESTATE, INC. Everest Mwamba 415-902-3411 maureen@kenneyrealestate.com
KILBY STENKAMP-VANGUARD PROPERTIES Kilby Stenkamp 415-370-7582
MARCUS & MILLICHAP
Sanford Skeie 415-625-2153 www.marcusmillichap.com
MAVEN COMMERCIAL
Matthew Sheridan 415-867-7711 matt@mavenproperties.com
THE MEZA GROUP AT SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY Christopher Meza 415-794-5194 cmeza@me.com chrismeza.com
NET LEASE EXCHANGE
MehdiStar 858-243-3954 mehdi@theNLX.com nlx.colliers.com
PRIME METROPOLIS PROPERTIES, INC. Tom Chan 415-731-0303 tomchan@pmp1988.com
SF BAY RENTAL COMPANY
Leslie Burnley 415-717-8709 leslie@sfbayrentalco.com www.sfbayrentalco.com
S&L REALTY
Robert Link 415-386-3111 www.slrealty-sf.com
TERRENCE CHAN
Terrence Chan 415-317-7011 tchanhomes@gmail.com
WEST & PRASZKER REALTORS
Michael Klestoff 415-312-2245 klestoffmre@aol.com
VANGUARD PROPERTIES
Dimitris Drolapas 415-531-9659 dd@dimitrisdrolapas.com
NERT
NEIGHBORHOOD EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM (NERT)
Get prepared and be involved. NERT is a communitybased training program that takes a neighbor-helping-neighbor approach, creating lifelines between families, neighbors, and San Francisco’s emergency responders.
NERT is a free training program for individuals, neighborhood groups, and community-based organizations in San Francisco. Individuals learn the basics of personal preparedness and prevention. Participants learn hands-on disaster skills that will help them as members of an emergency response team and/or as a leader directing untrained volunteers during an emergency, allowing them to act independently or as an adjunct to City emergency services.
Enrollment is easy! Want to host a NERT training in your San Francisco building or neighborhood? Classes will be scheduled based on program need and location. To request a class, you must have thirty sign-ups and an ADA compliant space able to accommodate at least eighty people.
Neighborhood Emergency Response Team (NERT) (415) 970-2022
SFFDNERT@sfgov.org
NERT Class Sign-Up Hotline (415) 970-2024
CHUCK & ASSOCIATES
Kevin Chuck 415-595-5832
chuckassoc@gmail.com
CITY REAL ESTATE
Arthur Tom 415-987-6788 art@cityrealestatesf.com cityrealestatesf.com
KENNEY & EVEREST REAL ESTATE, INC. Everest Mwamba 415-902-3411 maureen@kenneyrealestate.com
STEPHEN PUGH
415-497-8307 steve@pacwestcre.com
REFINISHING / RESURFACING SERVICE
MIRACLE METHOD OF SAN FRANCISCO NORTH Jaime Munoz 415-673-4211
MiracleMethodSFO@gmail.com www.miraclemethod.com/San-Francisco RENT
RENT RAISERS
Michelle Horneff-Cohen michelle@propertymanagementsystems.net
REAL MANAGEMENT COMPANY
Melinda Greene 415-230-8895 www.RMCsf.com
RENT BOARD PASSTHROUGHS
Kim Boyd Bermingham 415-333-8005 www.rentboardpass.com
RENTAL LISTING SERVICES
HRH REAL ESTATE SERVICES CORPORATION
Renee A. Engelen 415-810-6020 www.hrhrealestate.com
INTELLIRENT
Cassandra Joachim 415-849-4400 www.myintellirent.com
KIDDER MATTHEWS
Shayna Leonardsen 206-512-7190 shayna.leonardsen@kidder.com www.kidder.com
MOTABNA Nitin Ponnaganti 281-736-7892 nitin@motabna.com
REALPAGE Stacey Blackwell 972-820-3015 stacey.blackwell@realpage.com www.realpage.com
RESIDENTIAL LEASING
BROWN & PATKI INC. Mahesh Patki 415-513-2989 mahesh@brownpatki.com www.brownpatki.com
CORCORAN ICON PROPERTIES
Dawn Cusulos 415-678-8854
HRH REAL ESTATE SERVICES CORPORATION Renee A. Engelen 415-810-6020 www.hrhrealestate.com
J. WAVRO ASSOCIATES
James Wavro 415-509-3456 www.jwavro.com
KENNEY AND EVEREST REAL ESTATE, INC. Maureen Kenney 415-929-0717 maureen@kenneyrealestate.com
RELISTO
Eric Baird 415-236-6116 x101 www.relisto.com eric@relisto.com
RENTALS IN S.F.
Jackie Tom 415-409-3263 www.rentalsinsf.com
RENTSFNOW
Stephanie Versin sversin@veritasinv.com www.rentsfnow.com
SF CITY RENTS
Tracy Ballard 415-797-8296 tracy@sfcityrents.com www.sfcityrents.com
STRUCTURE PROPERTIES
Corey Eckert 415-794-0064 www.structureproperties.com
VERTEX PROPERTY GROUP
Craig Berendt 415-608-3050 csb@vertexsf.com www.vertexsf.com
SECURITY
SWIFTLANE
Jennifer Torres 949-327-1110 jtorres@swiftlane.com www.swiftlane.com
SECURITY DEPOSITS
THE GUARANTORS
Alexandra Nazaire 212-266-0020 alexandra.nazaire@theguarantors.com www.theguarantors.com
SEISMIC RETROFIT & STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING
BAI CONSTRUCTION
Behnam Afshar 510-595-1994 x101 www.baiconstruction.com
CONNOR DALY CONSTRUCTION
Connor Daniel Daly 415-205-0346 connor@connordalyconstruction.com www.connordalyconstruction.com
ONE DESIGN, INC.
Erevan O’Neill 415-828-4412 simone@onedesignsf.com www.onedesignsf.com
WEST COAST PREMIER CONSTRUCTION, INC.
Homy Sikaroudi, PhD, PE 510-271-0950 www.wcpc-inc.com
STAFFING
BG MULTI-FAMILY
Shannon Valentino 714-654-9498 svalentino@bgmultifamily.com
INTERSOLUTIONS LLC
Janet Mondani 628-682-5574 jmondani@intersolutions.com www.intersolutions.com
STUDENT HOUSING
AMERICAN CAMPUS COMMUNITIES
Hannah Lawson 415-310-2388 hlawson@americancampus.com
SUBMETERS
LIVABLE
Daniel Sharabi 415-937-7283 www.livable.com
TENANT PLACEMENT & LISTING
STRUCTURE PROPERTIES
Corey Eckert 415-794-0064 www.structureproperties.com
WATER CONSERVATION SERVICE
SF PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION Chandra Johnson 415-554-0704 www.conserve.sfwater.org
WATER DAMAGE SERVICE
BLUSKY RESTORATION CONTRACTORS Noelle Airey 925-440-2074 noelle.airey@goblusky.com www.goblusky.com
DRYFAST PROPERTY RESTORATION LLC
Ivan Angelov 415-861-8003 info@dryfast.net https://www.dryfast.net/
LTD Christian Munk
ops@faragonrestoration.com www.faragonrestoration.com
Maria Neumann 800-886-1801 www.waterdamagerecovery.net
Unit of Concern
written by M. BRETT GLADSTONE
San Francisco’s Planning Department has cracked down on unauthorized dwelling units—know the risks, penalties, and legalization process.
The Planning Department has started a more aggressive program to determine if unauthorized dwelling units (UDUs, also called illegal units) are present in residential properties, with a goal of requiring the legalization of as many as may be technically feasible. The Planning Department is actively reviewing online listings for homes and apartment buildings, as well as listings in other media. It will count the number of units advertised against what City records show as the legal number of units.
In the past, enforcement mainly relied on complaints from neighbors. Before 2014 (approximately), the Planning Department required that the UDU be removed if it learned of it. That would occur because neighbors tended to insist on removal based on their belief that their neighborhood had too little street parking. Now that neighbors find their children unable to stay in the City due to a lack of housing supply and because fewer residents own cars, neighbors’ attitudes have shifted.
The Planning Department now firmly believes that the most affordable type of housing is the existing illegal units across the City. These units tend to be smaller, have fewer amenities, and may have less open space and light. Some experts estimate there may be at least 15,000 to 20,000 UDUs in the City.
When such units come to the attention of the City, the Planning Department will send a Notice of Enforcement (NOE) requesting a site visit. If they see an illegal unit, or if the recipient of the NOE is not responsive, the Planning Department will send out a Notice of Violation (NOV) requesting that the owner file an application to remove or file an alteration permit to legalize.
If one wishes to remove an illegal unit, one faces a very strong chance of a denial by the Planning Department for reasons mentioned above and because the City believes that the unauthorized units will be, by design, more affordable units. The City also believes that the legalization of units is much less expensive than creating brand-new units. And from 20232024, the City recorded the fewest residential units in new buildings over the last twelve-plus years).
One can obtain approval to remove a unit if an appraisal and a detailed report from a reputable source on construction costs show that the cost to legalize (with legalization triggering compliance with all today’s building regulations) will exceed the value added by a new legal unit. If that cannot be shown, an owner might claim there is “no path to legalization.” It is extremely difficult to show this; however, one way to show no path to
legalization is to verify that the ceiling heights of bedrooms or a living room do not meet Housing Code Section 503, and that to make them do so so would require excavation of a ground floor. Housing Code Section 503 states that no habitable room should have a ceiling height of less than seven feet six inches, even though rooms other than habitable rooms can have a ceiling height of seven feet (hallways and bathrooms, for example).
Proposed Legislation with Severe Penalties
New legislation proposed by the Board of Supervisors would require the Planning Department to require that applications for all kinds of residential permits contain a certification by the applicant, under penalty of perjury, that there are no illegal units. That applicant must also make sure the plans do not omit any illegal units.
The Planning Department considers a unit to exist when there is a living space that has a partial kitchen, a bathroom with a shower or tub, and independent access to the street without going through another unit. Even an unoccupied space of 325 square feet with a four-foot-wide sink, a small under-counter fridge, and a very small oven may be deemed an illegal dwelling unit, if independent access to a street exists. The Planning Department may also consider a vacant 325foot space with a full bath and a mere three-foot-wide wet bar an unauthorized dwelling unit.
The proposed legislation creates new and severe penalties (discussed below). It states that architects and contractors and other agents (perhaps land use attorneys) who sign an application and/ or submit drawings that do not show such features of small living areas may be liable for misrepresentations.
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The legislation also proposes that all applications will have to include the following statement (under penalty of perjury): “The information contained in this application is true and complete to the best of my knowledge, based upon diligent inquiry.” Due to the “based upon diligent inquiry” language, it is more likely than not that the “applicant” (perhaps a general contractor or architect or land use attorney) will need to make a thorough site visit and order a copy of all prior alteration permits on the property, all certificates of final completion, and all tenant leases and Rent Board records. These third parties had previously been a lot less concerned about their liability, and as a result, would take their client’s word for what existed in these spaces.
Liability with Sign Applications
Given this language, a general contractor or other authorized agent who signs an application should consider asking the owner to sign the application. Alternatively, the contractor should consider obtaining an indemnity from the owner, by which the contractor would be indemnified from penalties it pays as a result of an owner’s failure to disclose conditions that might demonstrate illegal units. The new legislation would allow the City to refer the applicant to the applicant’s licensing agency, such as the California Board of Architects, Department of Real Estate, or General Contractor Board.
The Planning Department would be allowed to conduct its own property inspections to determine whether a UDU exists before the Planning Department approves even minor alteration applications for other parts of a building; and certainly, when an applicant seeks approval of any residential demolition, residential to nonresidential conversion, or a unit merger.
After an investigation, if the Planning Department reasonably believes that an owner or agent did not disclose an illegal unit or space that has some of the features of a dwelling, the Planning Department could cancel pending development applications. As a further penalty, an owner may need to wait six months before filing
an application for the same or very similar project. A party would be able to appeal this six-month penalty to the Board of Appeals, where four of five member votes could overrule the decision of the Zoning Administrator. Among the most troubling aspects of the proposal is that the City will have the right to refer parties who violate to the professional organizations or government agencies who process applications for licensure.
Larger Cash Penalties for Specified Violations
For misrepresentation of material information within any development application or building permit—including failure to disclose or a misrepresentation of tenant history at a site—the legislation would create a penalty of up to $250,000 upon issuance of a Notice of Violation. One of the authors of the legislation, Supervisor Myrna Melgar, recently told the Planning Commission that before adoption, reductions of penalties and other features of the proposal would be looked at again. Also, the Planning Department will be getting more aggressive in obtaining reimbursement for its employees’ time for investigations of UDUs and to oversee the legalization process.
Not uncommonly, a buyer purchases a home or apartment building and is not aware that a unit may be illegal. They may even be unaware that what appears to be an area for washing clothes (with a large sink) along with a half bath, might be considered an UDU by the City because it happens to be an area independently accessible to the street. That will not cause the Planning Department to rescind its notice of violation; however, it may make the Planning Department a little more reasonable allowing time for an owner to legalize a unit. The initial period to file an application with plans is thirty to sixty days, but extensions are provided particularly in the case of an owner who was not aware that one of the spaces (although vacant) would be considered an illegal unit. That short period rarely provides enough time for an owner to hire an architect to draw and submit within the period.
Legalizing a Dwelling and ADUs
When the number of units after legalization does not exceed the number of units per lot that the zoning allows, the legalized unit can be designated a dwelling unit. Otherwise, it may have to be designated an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU). Fewer units may need to be designated as ADUs thanks to recent City and state legislation that allow more dwelling units per lot. There are several major rezonings to occur next year, which will increase unit density even more.
In the past, the Planning Department might have insisted that the newly legalized unit be designated as an ADU (not a dwelling) even though the legalized unit did not cause an excess of allowed units per lot. It has been alleged that the City insisted on this in the past because ADUs cannot be sold as condominium units and because an ADU which requires a waiver from certain Planning Code requirements allows the City to put an ADU under rent control.
The above content is general in nature. Consult with a professional about your unique situation.
Brett Gladstone Esq. is an attorney at Goldstein, Gellman, Melbostad, Harris and McSparran (G3MH) and represents investors, developers, homeowners, institutions and nonprofits in land-use proceedings and CEQA compliance concerning residential and mixed-use developments throughout the Bay Area. This includes land subdivisions and condominium law. For the last 42 years, Mr. Gladstone has made regular appearances before Bay Area Planning Commissions, City Councils, Boards of Supervisors and Historic Boards. Recently, Governor Newsom appointed Mr. Gladstone to the California Architects Board.
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benefits of not only a sustainable home but also a sustainable community that contributes to reducing the collective carbon footprint of the region.
Community and Connection
The Canyon is focused on creating a sense of community and connection among residents. From the 24/7 concierge service to the vibrant social spaces, The Canyon is designed to foster meaningful interactions and offer a variety of experiences that meet the diverse needs of its residents.
The building features a central gallery lounge illuminated by a striking skylight, a space where residents can relax or socialize in an inviting, art-filled environment. For those who enjoy more active entertainment, The Canyon offers a lounge with table tennis, a retro-style arcade, and a private screening room for movie nights or special events. Additionally, there is a private dining lounge with a demonstration kitchen and fireplace, perfect for hosting dinner parties or intimate gatherings.
A fully equipped fitness center, sauna with locker rooms, and co-working lounge with reservable conference rooms ensure that residents have everything they need to work, unwind, and stay healthy. Even furry friends are considered at The Canyon, with a dog wash and grooming salon providing convenience and care for pets.
The building’s outdoor spaces are equally impressive. The Canyon’s rooftop hot tub offers a place for relaxation, complete with panoramic views of Mission Bay, Oracle Park, and the Bay Bridge. There are also two additional outdoor terraces, both furnished and featuring grilling stations and firepits, creating ideal spots for socializing and enjoying the stunning Mission Rock weather. For residents with electric vehicles, there are secure parking spaces with EV charging stations.
Thoughtfully Designed Living Spaces
The Canyon offers a variety of apartment layouts, including studios, one-bedroom, two-bedroom, and three-bedroom units. Ranging from 411 to 1,262 square feet, these residences are thoughtfully designed to maximize space and comfort. Apartments feature custom Italian cabinetry, spa-inspired bathrooms, and open kitchens that combine style with functionality. Many units also include private balconies, providing residents with the perfect vantage point to enjoy the breathtaking views of the surrounding waterfront and city skyline.
The Canyon’s interior design is a seamless blend of elegance and efficiency, with every detail meticulously crafted to enhance the resident experience. Smart thermostats, in-unit washers and dryers, and keyless smart locks are just a few of the high-tech features that make life at The Canyon both comfortable and convenient.
Making Luxury Accessible
In addition to its luxurious features and sustainability initiatives, The Canyon also offers an important community resource: its Below Market Rate (BMR) housing program. Through this program, The Canyon makes it possible for middle-income households to access reduced rental rates on select apartments. Applications for the BMR program are processed on a first-come, first-served basis, giving qualified applicants the opportunity to live in one of the most sought-after buildings in San Francisco.
This commitment to offering affordable housing is part of The Canyon’s broader goal of creating a balanced, diverse community. “We are proud to offer a variety of living options at The Canyon, making it accessible to people from all walks of life,” says a Greystar representative. “By providing affordable housing options, we ensure that everyone can experience the benefits of living in such a vibrant and sustainable neighborhood.”
What You Need to Know
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A New Benchmark
The Canyon’s recognition as San Francisco’s “Best New Development” is well-deserved. Not only does it set a new benchmark for luxury apartment living, but it also integrates seamlessly into the surrounding Mission Rock neighborhood, offering a sustainable, connected, and community-driven environment. Whether it’s the state-of-the-art green design, the emphasis on wellness and convenience, or the spectacular views of the waterfront, The Canyon is a building that meets the highest standards of modern urban living.
As the city continues to evolve, developments like The Canyon are redefining what it means to live in San Francisco. The combination of luxurious living, environmental responsibility, and a strong sense of community ensures that The Canyon will remain a landmark for years to come.
Pam McElroy is the editor of SF Apartment Magazine.
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Thank you for joining the San Francisco Apartment Association. SFAA is dedicated to educating, advocating for and supporting the Rental Housing Community so that its members operate ethically, fairly and profitably. Please consult a tax preparer in advance to determine deductibility for your tax situation. Membership fees are subject to change.
MAKE A TAX-DEDUCTIBLE CONTRIBUTION TO THE SFAA LEGAL FUND
Despite our best efforts to advocate on your behalf, in a tenant-friendly city like San Francisco, legislators looking to appeal to their base will often pass overly antagonistic laws toward property owners, infringing on your rights.
To protect rental property owners in San Francisco, SFAA established the SFAA Legal Fund in 1998. This fund initiates litigation against the City and County of San Francisco when City Hall passes laws we believe are unconstitutional or illegal.
In 2022, SFAA sued the City to successfully partially overturn a law that required rental property owners to send ten-day warning notices before issuing a three-day notice. In 2024, after the City appealed the decision, SFAA’s Legal Fund successfully overturned the law.
In 2023, SFAA filed litigation against City Hall to challenge the voterapproved Residential Vacancy Tax, arguing that it violated the Constitution as a violation of the Takings Clause, Substantive Due Process, Equal Protection, and the state’s Ellis Act. After months of delays, in November 2024, the San Francisco Superior Court sided with SFAA on all causes of action and struck down the vacancy tax. In overturning the vacancy tax, SFAA’s Legal Fund saved property owners an estimated $9 million in 2024 alone.
Tax-deductible contributions to the SFAA Legal Fund are needed now as we prepare to argue our vacancy tax case in the Court of Appeals. You can contribute to the SFAA Legal Fund by writing a check to:
