Unlicensed Landlords and Rent Increases

Residential property owners were required to report information about their units into San Francisco’s Housing Inventory by March 1, 2023.  Property owners who report that a unit is tenant-occupied will receive a rent increase “license” that allows them to impose annual allowable and banked rent increases. Landlords who have not fulfilled their reporting requirements will not receive a license and will not be permitted to impose annual allowable and banked rent increases on a tenant until reporting is completed. For parcels with 10+ units the requirement began July 1 2022.

If a tenant receives a notice of rent increase that goes into effect while the landlord is unlicensed, the tenant may file a Tenant Summary Petition with the Rent Board. A Tenant Summary Petition must be accompanied by a copy of the landlord’s notice of rent increase and a statement as to why the tenant believes the rent increase should not be allowed. The Summary Petition process does not usually require a hearing. Upon receipt of a Summary Petition, a staff person will contact the landlord to inform them if the increase is unlawful. Any rent increase under Section 37.3(a)(1)-(2) purporting to be effective while the landlord is unlicensed will render the entire rent increase null and void. (See Rent Board Rules and Regulations Section 13.14)

Reporting or verifying licenses can be done online using the Rent Board’s secure website Portal. To view property information without creating an account, type property address or Assessor Parcel Number (APN) into the search bar. Click View to see property details. Select year – currently 2022 (relevant for parcels with 10 + units) or 2023 (all units after March 1st) are options.  Licenses generated are viewable and specific to individual units.