Experienced San Francisco Rent Control Attorneys

When rent disputes hit a dead end, desperate tenants and landlords come to the Rent Board, which has the final say in all things rent control related.

When landlords find themselves in this deadlock, the SF Rent Board Lawyers at Bornstein Law can protect the rights of property owners at a Rent Board hearing.

Oftentimes, landlords are uninformed about their respective rights under the law. Expert advice and guidance is necessary to protect your rights in complicated landlord-tenant disputes, and Bornstein Law is the Bay Area's foremost and respected practitioners in this specialized facet of law.

The San Francisco Residential Rent Stabilization and Arbitration Board, known better as the Rent Board, is an administrative agency tasked with interpreting and enforcing San Francisco’s Rent Ordinance. The Ordinance aims to preserve low-cost housing by limiting rent increases for tenants in occupancy. The Rent Board was created by law in 1979 and since then, has grown substantially in size and scope. It has promulgated a host of increasingly complex regulations to implement San Francisco’s Rent Ordinance.

Tight housing supply, coupled with rising disparity between fair market rent and rents controlled under the Ordinance has made for a perfect storm for landlord-tenant disputes, but Bay Area property owners have to know they have rights under the law. The San Francisco Rent Control attorneys at Bornstein Law has strongly advocated for landlord rights for over 23 years are we are the "go to" team for assistance in everything related to San Francisco rent control.

If a tenant has filed a petition against you, now is not the time to go it alone.

All manner of consequences can result.

While each claim is different, a landlord can be on the hook for potentially thousands of dollars in overcharged rent, can forfeit the exempt status of their rental unit, or face any combination of other, unfavorable outcomes.

Given the gravity of the matter, it is highly advised that you are represented by a competent real estate attorney that is intimately familiar with local rent ordinances and is experienced in rent board hearings and appeals.

A tenant can file a petition with the Rent Board for a number of reasons, generally to seek a rent reduction or seek protection against alleged unlawful actions on part of the landlord.

Common claims include unlawful rent increases; improper utility passthroughs; decreases in housing services; faulty appliances; a landlord’s failure to repair or maintain the unit; wrongful eviction and rent overcharge claims from Subtenant against Master Tenant. You can peruse the full list of available tenant petitions on the Rent Board's website here.

As a landlord, you can also petition the Rent Board to advance your rights or obligations relating to the tenancy or property.

Some of the underlying issues for petitions include:

• Determination for permissible rent increases • Operating/maintenance rent increases

• Challenges on whether unit is tenant's primary place of occupancy • Capital improvement passthroughs

Our San Francisco Rent Control Attorneys Will Be Privileged To Assist You.