San Francisco Evictions at 12-year High

The San Francisco Examiner published an article today reporting that evictions in San Francisco have climbed to a 12-year high as of March 2013.

According to the article, from March 1 2012 through February 28, 2013, there were 1,757 eviction notices filed with the SF Rent Board. While the article contends that “Tenants breaking the terms of their leases accounted for the most evictions” with rental prices in San Francisco second in the nation only to New York, landlords have more incentive than ever to find pre-textual reasons to seek evictions in order to rid themselves of long-term, rent controlled arrangements. Landlords may be asserting that their tenants have breached a term of the lease as a means to getting rid of a long-term tenant paying below market rent, but that does not mean that the the reason is valid.

Protect yourself:
With landlords on a witch hunt to get rid of long term tenants, it is important to be very cautious in your approach so as to avoid making yourself vulnerable to a possible eviction. If you are a long term tenant, be sure that you are acting “above board.” That means making sure you are aware of the requirements of your lease, and act accordingly. Have sub-tenants? Make sure that you are familiar with your lease’s provisions related to roommates and sub-letters, and make yourself aware of the provisions of the San Francisco Rent Ordinance pertaining to roommates. Have questions? Call our office and we can discuss options.

the link for the full text of the article posted in today’s Examiner: http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/my-city/2013/05/tenant-ousters-reach-12-year-high-market-gets-increasingly-tight#ixzz2SWz92uVe