Establish a Rental Registry in San Francisco

San Francisco Mayor London Breed and San Francisco Board of Supervisors

SF YIMBY believes that San Francisco needs a rental registry, a database that clearly presents what number of apartments are occupied, what number are vacant, what the rental rate is, and helps identify people who might be able to benefit from various tenants protections. In addition to helping San Francisco better understand our real-time housing statistics, a well-designed rental registry will help ensure new tenant protections granted under bills like SB 330 can be thoroughly enforced.

We hope a rental registry in San Francisco could serve as a model, helping to revive attempts at passing a state-wide rental registry. Many tenants' rights can only be effectively enforced with a rental registry. Cities with rent control that currently have housing inventories include Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Berkeley, El Cerrito, Alameda, Long Beach, San Jose and Santa Cruz. San Francisco can effectively build on these, while ensuring that new state laws truly benefit our tenants.

It's time for San Francisco join this group of cities in establishing a rental registry to better serve the needs of all of its tenants. Please join us by signing this petition asking the Mayor and Board of Supervisors for a rental registry to be established in San Francisco!
Sponsored by
Sf_yimby_no_text_dark_gray_lg
San Francisco, CA

To: San Francisco Mayor London Breed and San Francisco Board of Supervisors
From: [Your Name]

Dear San Francisco Mayor and Board of Supervisors,

We write to you today in strong support of a rental registry for San Francisco. A rental registry is an essential tool in the active enforcement of rent stabilization ordinances because it enables rent boards and agencies to gather information regarding current rents in rent stabilized units, monitor maximum allowable rents and just cause for eviction, notify annually or make available to tenants and landlords on request the maximum rent for any given unit and their rights and obligations under the rent ordinance, and take enforcement action when violations are discovered. Move-in dates and effective dates of the last rent increase recorded in a registry can be analyzed by city staff to determine if there has been an illegal rent increase. A rental registry could help increase enforcement on multiple fronts, such as ensuring property owners performing an Owner Move-In (OMI) Evection abide by the law and do not rent out their unit until legally allowed. Additionally, a rental registry will allow city staff to analyze and report on rent levels and eviction trends in San Francisco.

Important state legislation enforcing San Francisco tenants' rights can only be effectively enforced with a rental registry. Many new laws involve various forms of a "lookback" - but without a rental registry looking back is challenging. The Tenant Protection Act of 2019 (AB 1482) limits rent increases for most tenants in the state. To enforce this rent cap, it is essential that state and tenant advocates have access to data that shows what renters are required to pay each month. A rental registry will facilitate the task of monitoring rents. A rental registry will also facilitate the anti-displacement measures in the Housing Crisis Act of 2019 (SB 330), which bans the demolition of affordable and rent-controlled housing without replacement of that housing or financial support to find new housing, as well as requiring the former tenants to have the first right to new housing built at that site at the previous rent. The registry would help identify which units are protected by this law, the financial support necessary for affected tenants, and confirmation of proper rent should affected tenants return to the new housing. Enforcement of both of these laws will be much easier and more effective with a rental registry.

Lacking comprehensive data, policymakers will be unable to understand who is most vulnerable and which policy interventions will be required. We must distribute resources efficiently and legislate policies that provide relief to our most vulnerable renters by creating a definitive, comprehensive, and readily accessible rental registry. The cities of Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Berkeley, El Cerrito, Alameda, Long Beach, San Jose and Santa Cruz have all established rental registries for collecting information about tenancies and rental units. It's time for San Francisco to join this group of cities in implementing this strategic tool for maintenance and enforcement of critical tenant protections.

Please mandate and establish a rental registry for San Francisco. Thank you for your service, time, and consideration of this urgent matter.