San Francisco Unlawful Detainer - Eviction Defense
If an apartment is covered by the San Francisco Rent Ordinance, a landlord must have a "just cause" reason that is the dominant motive for pursuing the eviction utilizing the unlawful detainer process. There are 15 just cause reasons for eviction under Ordinance Section 37.9(a). The most common are:
- Non-payment of rent or habitual late payment of rent;
- Breach of a rental agreement or lease;
- Owner-occupancy or occupancy by a member of the landlord's immediate family;
- To perform capital improvements which will make the unit temporarily uninhabitable while the work is being done;
- To perform substantial rehabilitation of a building that is at least 50 years old, provided that the cost of the proposed work is at least 75% of the cost of new construction;
- To withdraw the rental units from the rental market under the Ellis Act;
- Creation of a nuisance or substantial interference with the landlord or other tenants in the building; and
- To demolish or permanently remove a rental unit from housing use.
