The Ellis Act and your housing

California law permits a landlord to go out of business and remove her rental units from the rental market. This law is known as the Ellis Act. The law was passed by the California Legislature after the California Supreme Court held that landlords could not go out of...

San Francisco Rent Ordinance section 6.14 and how can affect you

In San Francisco, a person who originally signs a lease with the landlord is usually called the original occupant or master tenant. Sometimes, the master tenant has subtenants, who might be accepted as authorized tenants by the landlord. According to the Rent...

Covenant of Quiet Enjoyment and your lease

In California, every rental agreement contains the implied covenant of quiet enjoyment. ‘Implied’ means even if the covenant is not explicitedly stated in the lease it still exists. This covenant means that landlord cannot do two things. The landlord cannot lease the...

What to Know if Your Building is Sold in San Francisco

What happens when your building is sold and you are under the San Francisco Rent Ordinance? Nothing!  That’s right-nothing.  Legislation passed in 2008 now requires the seller and buyer of a multi-unit building to disclose to tenants (in writing) that they cannot be...