The “Ellis Act” is a state law which says that landlords have the unconditional right to evict tenants to “go out of business.” For an Ellis eviction, the landlord must remove all of the units in the building from the rental market, i.e., the landlord must evict all the tenants and cannot single out one tenant (for example, with low rent) and/or remove just one unit out of several from the rental market. The Ellis Act is included in the just causes for eviction under the Rent Ordinance as Section 37.9(a)13).

Ellis Act evictions generally are used to change the use of the building. Most Ellis evictions are used to convert rental units to condominiums, using loopholes in the condo law. If your Ellis eviction is intended to convert the apartments to condos see the “Condo & TIC Conversions” section. Also, Ellis evictions are used to convert multi-unit buildings into single family homes that are mansions. For fighting these, see “Mergers & Demolitions.”

 

Threats

Filing an Ellis Act with the Rent Board means that the re-rental restrictions will be recorded on the deed of the property. The record on the deed is regardless of whether or not the landlord completes the Ellis withdrawal. Thus landlords are motivated to issue Ellis “warnings” and “advisories” to the tenants. These “warnings” are not legal eviction notices but nonetheless are perceived as eviction notices by tenants. They usually warn that an Ellis will be coming in a month or two. (Especially when they want to simply sell a building since realtors report that vacant buildings are worth 20% more). See the strategies for dealing with threats of eviction. Don’t move based on a bluff!

 

Buyouts

Offers to vacate for money (with implied threats of eviction) are regulated.

 

Fight the Ellis Eviction

Tenants who fight the Ellis eviction win surprisingly often. Tenants who don’t win often drag out the eviction for well over a year and get into a position where they can settle on their terms. The first rule of an Ellis is not to panic but to become resolved to fight for your home. The Tenderloin Housing Clinic may be able to assist with fighting the eviction.

 

Organize as a Group

If one tenant can successfully claim any of the following defenses, then the eviction is stopped for the entire building since the landlord is then prevented from withdrawing all of the units. (However, one tenant claiming disability or senior status that requires notice of one year would not prevent eviction of the other tenants after 120 days.) If the landlord buys out enough units so that there are only two units that are tenant occupied, the landlord may be able to market the building as a landlord move-in for one unit and a close relative move-in for the other unit with fewer restrictions, decreasing the tenants’ fighting power.

It can be useful to put public pressure on a landlord who is doing an Ellis Act eviction. Since the landlord isn’t even claiming to be doing anything socially redeeming after the evictions are completed, neighbors and the media can often be made to see the tenant’s side clearly.

 

Procedural Defenses

A landlord cannot do a partial Ellis eviction; all of the tenants in the entire building are given eviction notices simultaneously, e.g., not just one of the tenants.

Senior (age 62) and disabled tenants (generally, disability being defined as” having a condition that limits a major life activity,” California Government Code Sections 12955.3 and 12926) must receive a one year notice of eviction. All other tenants must receive 120 days notice.

Courts have ruled that since the Ellis Act procedures are so strict, the landlord must exactly adhere (both content and dates) to all of the required Rent Board filings. Tenants should go to the Rent Board and review the landlord’s filings and the dates they were received. For example, the eviction notice (120 days after service to the tenant) cannot expire before the building is withdrawn from the rental market (120 days after filing the petition to withdraw if there are no senior or disabled tenants). Given that Ellis notices are 120 days and that most Ellis evictions are done by real estate speculators seeking to cash in on a hot market, forcing landlords to reissue 120 day notices can force the speculator to rethink whether they even want to do the Ellis.

A ruling by the California Bureau of Real Estate said that TIC conversions in 5+ unit buildings must go through the state subdivision process. Tenants have defeated Ellis evictions in 5+ unit buildings because the landlord was offering the units but had not received California Bureau of Real Estate subdivision approval. If you live in a building being Ellised which has five or more units, make sure the landlord know about this ruling. If the landlord is actively selling the units as TIC units, you can also file a complaint with the California Bureau of Real Estate.

The landlord may not Ellis during the term of a fixed period lease.

 

Process of an Ellis Eviction

Ellis evictions require a one year notice for senior and disabled tenants, 120 days for all others.

It might be helpful to understand the concept of “Ellising” a building. There’s two generally simultaneous actions a landlord must take: (1) evict the tenants and (2) legally remove the building from the rental market.

Courts have ruled that the tenant’s eviction notice cannot expire before the building is “withdrawn” from the rental market. A building is “withdrawn” 120 days (or one year if there is a senior or disabled tenant) after the landlord files a “Notice of Intent To Withdraw Units.” During the 120 day period, the withdrawal remains an “intent” and the landlord retains the option of changing his/her mind. (However, the re-rental restrictions are set in place for the rent at the time the Notice of Intent to Withdraw Units was filed if a tenant vacates due to the Ellis eviction notice.) In 120 days, the intent becomes a fact and the buildings is “Ellised” or “withdrawn” with the Ellis restrictions then filed at the County Recorder.

The process is as follows:

1. Landlord issues tenants eviction notice effective 120 days after the landlord files the Notice of Intent (see number 2), and half of the relocation payments. The other half is paid when the tenant vacates the unit. See document 577 for the relocation amounts.
2. Landlord files Notice of Intent to Withdraw Units from the Rental Market with the Rent Board. The two notices work hand in hand: if the landlord serves the eviction notice and files the Notice of Intent simultaneously (e.g., the same day), then the eviction notice can be 120 days. If the eviction notice is given on July 1 and the Notice of Intent is filed July 10, it must be at least a 130 day notice. Tenants are advised to determine when the Notice of Intent is filed since discrepancies can make the eviction invalid. The eviction notice cannot expire before the building is withdrawn.
3. Within 15 days of filing the Notice of Intent, landlord informs tenants that the Notice of Intent was filed and of the tenants’ reoccupancy and relocation rights. The Rent Board at some point in the process will also inform tenants of the filing, relocation and reoccupancy rights.
4. Within 120 days (or 1 year if there is a senior or disabled tenant) of the filing of the Notice of Intent, the landlord records with the County Recorder a memorandum summarizing the Notice of Intent.
5. 120 days (or 1 year if there is a senior or disabled tenant) after the Notice of Intent is filed with the Rent Board, the building is considered legally removed from the rental market.
6. Once the building is legally withdrawn from the rental market (i.e., 120 days after filing of the Notice of Intent), the landlord can initiate Unlawful Detainer procedures.
7. The Rent Board records Ellis constraints at County Recorder within 30 days of withdrawal (within 150 days of the landlord filing of the Notice of Intent).

 

Right to Re-Rent at Same Rent

Within 30 days of vacating, tenants are required to notify the landlord of their current address and their wish to re-occupy the unit at the same rent, if it is rented again. Tenants should notify the landlord and the landlord’s attorney. The Rent Board will also provide tenants with a form to fill out and maintain a registry of tenants who wish to return including their current addresses, etc.

 

Re-Rental Restrictions

If a building is “Ellised” (i.e., removed from the rental market), there are vacancy rent control restrictions on re-rental of the units:

• Re-Rental Must Be at Same Rent Evicted Tenants Paid: For a period of five years, if the units are re-rented to anyone, the maximum rent which can be charged is the same rent the evicted tenant in that unit was paying, plus any increases which would be otherwise allowed under rent control.
• Evicted Tenants Get First Right to Return. For a period of ten years, the evicted tenant must be offered the unit first if the unit is re-rented. The landlord can only charge the rent the evicted tenant was paying, plus any increases which would be otherwise allowed under rent control for the first 5 years, but during the second 5 years the tenant would be subject to market rate rent. Tenants must notify the landlord and the Rent Board if they want to avail themselves of this option within 30 days of displacement.

The re-rental restrictions above are binding on current and future owners. Also, if the building is demolished and units in a newly constructed building are offered for rent within five years of the date of withdrawal, restrictions will apply.

Contact the San Francisco Assessor and Recorder’s Office for restrictions on a property. Tenants who have rented an apartment which the landlord has previously withdrawn from the rental market under the Ellis Act may be paying too much rent, because of the re-rental restrictions imposed by Ellis. If you think you may be living in such a unit, come in to the Tenants Union drop in clinic and talk to a counselor.

 

Updated 2/18