Solutions Pricing FAQs Blog Resources
Sign In Resident Sign In Get Started
San Francisco, California

San Francisco Landlord-Tenant Laws

Security deposit limits, eviction notices, rent control, and more for San Francisco, California.

How we research these summaries

Every rule on this page is drawn from state statutes and municipal codes and summarized with AI assistance. Each one cites the statute it's based on and links to a published text of that law so you can read it firsthand. Where a page says a city or county has no local rule on a topic, that means none was found for the topics covered here — not that none exists. Local governments also regulate rental housing in ways these pages don't track, including registration, licensing, inspections and habitability standards. These summaries may be incomplete or out of date, laws change often, and every property and tenancy has specifics a summary can't capture — so treat this as a starting point for your own research, not as legal advice, and check with the local jurisdiction and a qualified attorney before acting on your particular situation.

What to Know in San Francisco

Sources last checked July 2026

San Francisco layers local rules on California's statewide framework under its Rent Ordinance (Administrative Code Chapter 37). Covered units — generally those built on or before June 13, 1979 — carry an annual rent increase cap of 1.6% for March 2026 through February 2027, set at 60% of the Bay Area CPI; units outside local coverage fall back to the statewide AB 1482 formula. Eviction requires one of 17 enumerated just-cause grounds. A city ordinance also requires interest, currently 4.2%, on deposits held over a year.

  • San Francisco permits eviction from a covered unit only on one of seventeen specifically enumerated grounds (S.F.
  • San Francisco's Rent Ordinance limits the annual increase for covered units to 1.6% for the year running March 1, 2026 through February 28, 2027.
  • Security deposits capped at 1 month's rent
  • 30-day advance written notice required for rent increases
  • 30-day move-out notice required for month-to-month tenancies
5 rules summarized · Each linked to the law it cites

San Francisco Local Rules

Eviction Notice Requirements

What are the eviction notice requirements in San Francisco?

San Francisco permits eviction from a covered unit only on one of seventeen specifically enumerated grounds (S.F. Admin. Code § 37.9). They run from nonpayment of rent, breach of the lease, nuisance and illegal use, through to owner or relative move-in, condominium conversion, demolition, capital improvement work, substantial rehabilitation, withdrawal from the rental market under the Ellis Act, and lead abatement. Where the ground is no fault of the tenant — owner move-in, condominium conversion, demolition, capital improvement, substantial rehabilitation, Ellis Act withdrawal and lead abatement among them — relocation assistance is required, with additional monthly assistance for lower-income tenants displaced for more than three months on capital-improvement grounds.

S.F. Admin. Code § 37.9
Rent Control / Rent Increase Caps

Is there rent control in San Francisco?

San Francisco's Rent Ordinance limits the annual increase for covered units to 1.6% for the year running March 1, 2026 through February 28, 2027. The figure is set each year at 60% of the change in the Bay Area Consumer Price Index, published by the Rent Board in early January and taking effect on March 1. Coverage turns on the age of the building: units with a certificate of occupancy issued on or before June 13, 1979 are generally covered, and newer construction is exempt. Units outside local control are not necessarily uncapped — most fall under California's AB 1482, which permits 5% plus the regional change in the cost of living, or 10%, whichever is lower.

S.F. Admin. Code ch. 37 (Rent Ordinance)
Security Deposit Limits

What is the security deposit limit in San Francisco?

San Francisco does not set its own limit on the size of a security deposit. California law caps security deposits at one month's rent from July 1, 2024, with an exception permitting two months for a natural-person landlord who owns no more than two residential properties totalling no more than four units. What San Francisco adds is interest: under Administrative Code Chapter 49 a landlord holding a deposit for more than one year must pay the tenant interest on it, at a rate the Rent Board sets each January. For the year running March 1, 2026 through February 28, 2027 that rate is 4.2%, down from 5.0% the previous year.

S.F. Admin. Code ch. 49; Cal. Civ. Code § 1950.5

Applicable California State Rules

These state-level rules apply in San Francisco where no local override exists.

Rent Increase Notice Periods State Law

How much notice is required for rent increases in San Francisco?

Landlords must provide written notice before raising rent on a month-to-month tenancy. A minimum 30 days' written notice is required when the increase is 10% or less of the lowest rent charged in the preceding 12 months. A minimum 90 days' written notice is required when the increase exceeds 10% of the lowest rent charged in the preceding 12 months, either individually or cumulatively with prior increases over that period.

California Civil Code § 827
Move-Out & Lease Termination Notice State Law

What is the move-out notice requirement in San Francisco?

For month-to-month tenancies, tenants must provide at least 30 days' written notice to terminate. Any lease clause requiring more than 30 days' notice from the tenant is void under Civil Code § 1953. Landlords must provide 30 days' notice if the tenant has resided in the unit for less than 1 year, or 60 days' notice if the tenant has resided in the unit for 1 year or more. These are minimum termination notice requirements; separately, just cause eviction requirements under AB 1482 may apply for tenants with 12+ months of occupancy.

California Civil Code §§ 1946, 1946.1

Other California Cities & Counties

Alameda County Los Angeles County Sonoma County Antioch Chula Vista Concord Los Angeles Oakland Sacramento San Diego San Jose All California laws →

Stay compliant without the headache

Trenly tracks the notices, deadlines, and rule changes behind these laws — so you don't have to watch every statute yourself.

See how Trenly handles compliance Start free trial