San Francisco's Tenant Protections Among Strongest in U.S., But Gaps Leave Thousands Without Cover

San Francisco's rent stabilization ordinance, administered by the Rent Board at 25 Van Ness Avenue, covers roughly 172,000 residential units and limits annual rent increases for eligible tenants to a percentage tied to the local Consumer Price Index. For 2026, that allowable increase is 1.7 percent. The policy affects longtime renters in buildings constructed before June 13, 1979, but leaves an estimated 60,000 to 70,000 households in newer construction, single-family homes, and condominiums outside its reach, according to Rent Board data published in its most recent annual statistical report.

The comparison matters more now than it has in years. A prolonged period of elevated construction costs and stubbornly high mortgage rates has slowed new housing delivery across California, pushing more residents back into the competitive rental market. Meanwhile, federal housing assistance programs face cuts proposed in the fiscal year 2026 congressional budget process, meaning cities that have built strong local tenant protection frameworks are increasingly the last line of defense for lower-income renters. For San Francisco residents not covered by the ordinance, a landlord can issue a 60-day notice and raise rent by any amount permitted under state law, with no local cap applying.

How San Francisco Stacks Up Against Other Major Cities

Among large American cities, San Francisco's framework is more expansive than most but still narrower than New York's. New York City's Rent Stabilization Law covers approximately 1 million units, reaching buildings constructed before 1974 as well as a broader set of tax-benefit properties under the Rent Guidelines Board's jurisdiction. The New York Rent Guidelines Board sets allowable increases annually; for 2025-2026, it approved a 2.75 percent increase for one-year leases. Los Angeles, by contrast, administers the Rent Stabilization Ordinance through the Housing Department and covers buildings built on or before October 1, 1978, with a current allowable increase of 3 percent for 2025. San Jose's ordinance, updated under Measure J in 2023, covers buildings built before September 1979 and caps annual increases at 5 percent or the local CPI, whichever is lower. Washington, D.C. caps increases at CPI plus 2 percent for most covered units, and Chicago has no general citywide rent stabilization ordinance at all, leaving renters there almost entirely subject to market rates.

The practical effect for San Francisco residents is visible in the city's eviction and displacement data. The Rent Board's 2024-2025 annual report recorded 1,892 eviction notices filed, with owner move-in and Ellis Act filings, both of which remove units from the rental market entirely, accounting for a combined 18 percent of total notices. Tenant advocates note that Ellis Act removals, which allow landlords to exit the rental business entirely under California Government Code Section 7060, disproportionately affect long-term residents in covered units and can eliminate the protection entirely. The ordinance does not cap move-out agreements, and tenants who accept buyouts lose their stabilized status on that unit permanently.

What Residents in Uncovered Units Can Do

Renters in post-1979 buildings, single-family homes, or condominiums have recourse primarily through California's AB 1482, the Tenant Protection Act of 2019, which the state legislature enacted to create a statewide backstop. AB 1482 caps rent increases at 5 percent plus local CPI, or 10 percent total, whichever is lower, for tenants who have lived in a unit for at least 12 months. It does not apply to single-family homes where the owner has served proper notice of the exemption, or to condominiums sold separately. The Rent Board is not the enforcement agency for AB 1482; tenants in those circumstances must pursue claims through the California courts or the Department of Housing and Community Development.

The Board of Supervisors is expected to take up a proposal in the fall of 2026 that would expand just-cause eviction protections to a broader set of unregulated units, stopping short of imposing a rent cap but restricting no-fault evictions for tenants with more than 12 months of tenancy. Tenant rights organizations including the Tenderloin Housing Clinic and the Housing Rights Committee of San Francisco have been participating in working group sessions on the draft legislation. No vote date has been set. Residents seeking to determine whether their unit is covered by the existing rent ordinance can look up their address through the Rent Board's online portal at sfrb.org.