Real Estate Law Blog
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Money and Owner Move-in Evictions
Can you get money from your landlord if he wrongfully used an owner move-in eviction?
Maybe. An investigative report by NBC Bay Area suggests that it’s relatively easy. But be forewarned: you as a tenant will likely have hoops to jump through.
Did Rent Control Win Big at the Ballot Box?
If you didn’t like the results of the presidential election, there still might be a bright spot for you as a tenant.
Five Bay Area cities had tenant rent control measures on the ballot last Tuesday. All of these measures were created through voters collecting enough signatures.
Winning My First Eviction Case
Here’s an article I wrote that was published in the November 2016 The Bar Association of San Francisco Bulletin. It was fun to remember my first experience as a volunteer lawyer and to reflect on how far I’m come:
Eviction by Fire
Nine tenants were left homeless by another fire that damaged an apartment building in the Mission district about 17 days ago.
There’s been a rash of them. This 2-alarm fire took 66 firefighters about an hour and a half to put out. A SFGATE article noted that the fire “caused no injuries.”
I Support Causa Justa :: Just Cause
Imagine you lived in a place where you didn’t speak the language fluently. How would you enter into a legal agreement like a lease while being careful about your own interests? I’ve always advocated that you should be an informed tenant. But it becomes much more difficult when the landlord does not speak your language. […]
Don’t Be Fooled into an Eviction
You get a letter from your landlord in the mail or find one stuck to your door. With a sick stomach, you read that it’s a notice to terminate your tenancy. It looks official.
The letter my clients recently received from their landlord was just like that. It even said, “Landlord’s Notice to Terminate Tenancy,” in a very official-like manner at the top. My clients thought it was good.
The Ugly Side of Short-Term Rentals
A few of my clients rent all or part of their homes through short-term rental companies like Airbnb. They say it’s a good way to supplement their income, especially if they live in desirable neighborhoods like the Mission, Haight, or South of Market.
As I have written in previous blogs, as a tenant, you need to read your lease to ensure you can use your home as a short-term rental. Otherwise, you are opening up the possibility of an eviction.
Fighting to Block Rent Jumping to $8,000/mo
Neil Hutchinson is my client. His landlord increased his rent from $1,800 to $8,000 per month. That’s a rent increase of more than 400%. In all my years as an attorney fighting for tenants, I have never seen such a steep rent hike.
Neil lives in an apartment in North Beach, on the corner of Columbus and Scotland streets. His building is famous for being in Clint Eastwood’s 1988 movie “The Dead Pool.” When his landlord tried to raise his rent from $1,800 to $8,000 per month, his apartment became famous for another reason.
Eviction, Short-term Rentals, and You
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Mary Catherine Wiederhold
Real Estate Attorney
1458 Sutter Street
San Francisco, CA 94109
(415) 533-0735
(415) 843-0496Our offices are conveniently accessible to public transportation.
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