Section 8 Voucher Holders: Know Your Rights

Section 8 Voucher Holders: Know Your Rights

What’s something landlords in San Francisco, Denver, Memphis, Chicago and Washington, DC have in common? They are located in one of the fewer than 100 U.S. cities prohibiting housing discrimination based on source of income. In other words, if you are a Section...
Senate Bill 91: A Temporary Lifeline for Covid-19 Impacted Tenants

Senate Bill 91: A Temporary Lifeline for Covid-19 Impacted Tenants

The COVID-19 pandemic generated a slew of new rules, extended rent moratoriums, eviction restrictions and complicated compliance calendars for both landlords and tenants. Just as California’s COVID-19 Tenant Relief Act was expiring, SB 91 took effect January 29,...
Navigating Covid-19 Rent Increase Rules

Navigating Covid-19 Rent Increase Rules

Just as the California state-wide Covid-19 State of Emergency halted most evictions, rent increases were also considered to mitigate economic hardship. To prevent price gouging by landlords, a law was passed banning rent increases of more than 10% of pre-pandemic...
Eviction vs. Ejection

Eviction vs. Ejection

What’s the Difference? Most tenants understand the meaning of the word eviction. Eviction is “the dispossession of a tenant of leased property by a legal process.”  In other words, the tenant has to leave because a judge said so after the landlord...
How To Be A Good Plaintiff in Your Lawsuit

How To Be A Good Plaintiff in Your Lawsuit

If you find yourself suing your landlord, you become a plaintiff in a legal action. A plaintiff is someone who makes a legal complaint against someone else in court. It is not uncommon for tenants to have legitimate reasons to complain about a problem with a rental...
What To Know About Estoppel Certificates

What To Know About Estoppel Certificates

Chelsea and Antonio loved their ground-floor San Francisco duplex apartment with its peek-a-boo view of San Francisco Bay.  Although the unit was small at 875 square feet, it was cozy, and featured a shared outdoor courtyard with a barbecue and space to play with...