Bay Area Tenant
Rights Attorney
Renters throughout San Francisco and the greater Bay Area benefit from strong state and local protections. If your landlord is violating your rights, you have options—and we can help you take action.
San Francisco Tenants Have Rights Most Landlords Would Rather You Not Know About
The San Francisco Rent Ordinance and California's AB 1482 together create one of the most protective legal frameworks for renters in the United States. Landlords in rent-controlled buildings cannot raise rents arbitrarily, cannot evict without just cause, and cannot retaliate against tenants who assert their rights. When they do any of these things anyway, the law provides remedies — and this firm helps tenants enforce them.
We represent renters in San Francisco and across the Bay Area, including the Russian-speaking communities of the Richmond and Sunset Districts who have long relied on this firm for bilingual tenant rights representation. If you are facing pressure from your landlord and are not sure whether what they are doing is legal, the first step is a free case review.
Tenant Rights Cases We Handle
Injured Because of a Habitability Defect? You May Have Two Claims — and One Firm Handles Both.
When a landlord's failure to maintain the property causes a physical injury — a fall on a broken staircase, an illness from unaddressed mold, an assault in a building with a broken security gate — most tenants don't realize that their injury and their housing situation are legally connected. Most firms handle one or the other. We handle both.
As one of the few San Francisco practices that combines
personal injury representation with tenant rights law, we can pursue your habitability claim and your injury claim together, under one roof, without passing you to another attorney. That coordination matters — because the facts that prove your landlord violated the law are often the same facts that prove your injury was their fault.
What We Have Recovered for San Francisco Tenants
- $425,000 — Wrongful Eviction Settlement
- $75,000 — Tenant Civil Rights Settlement
Past results do not guarantee a specific outcome in your case. Every claim turns on its own facts, lease terms, and applicable protections under the SF Rent Ordinance and state law.
Why San Francisco Tenants Choose This Firm
Deep Knowledge of the SF Rent Ordinance and AB 1482. These laws are specific, layered, and frequently misapplied by landlords who assume tenants won't push back. We know them and we use them.
Retaliation Is a Separate Claim — and We Pursue It. If a landlord retaliates against you for reporting conditions, requesting repairs, or contacting a city agency, that retaliation is its own legal violation under California and San Francisco law. We turn it into a claim.
Your Landlord Doesn't Decide If an Eviction Is Legal. The Law Does. Evictions in San Francisco rent-controlled buildings require just cause. We review every eviction notice and advise you on whether the basis is legally valid before you make any decisions.
Russian and Spanish Spoken Fluently. Gene has represented a large Russian-speaking tenant client base for more than 15 years and serves Spanish-speaking tenants throughout the Bay Area. Tenant rights representation in your preferred language is available from the first call.
No Referrals Needed When Both Injury and Eviction Are on the Table. If your landlord's negligence left you injured, one firm handles the full picture.
Personal Injury Questions We Hear Most Often
What are my rights as a tenant in San Francisco?
San Francisco tenants in rent-controlled buildings have the right to pay rent increases only at the rate permitted by the SF Rent Ordinance, to be evicted only for just cause as defined by that ordinance, to live in a unit that meets California's habitability standards, and to assert any of those rights without facing retaliation from their landlord. State law under AB 1482 extends some of these protections to tenants in buildings that are not covered by the local ordinance. The specifics of what protections apply to your unit depend on when the building was built, the type of unit, and your tenancy history.
Can my landlord raise my rent in San Francisco?
In most rent-controlled buildings in San Francisco, landlords are permitted to raise rent only by an amount set annually by the Rent Board — currently a fraction of the consumer price index increase. Raising rent above that cap, or using rent increases as a pressure tactic to push out a long-term tenant, may constitute a violation of the SF Rent Ordinance. If you have received a rent increase that feels unusually large or poorly timed, contact us to review it.
What counts as just cause for eviction in San Francisco?
Under the SF Rent Ordinance, landlords must have a legally recognized reason — called just cause — to evict a tenant in a covered unit. Just cause grounds include nonpayment of rent, lease violations, nuisance, and certain owner-use evictions, among others. Each ground has specific procedural requirements the landlord must follow. An eviction notice that lacks proper just cause grounds, or that does not follow required procedures, may be challengeable. Do not vacate before reviewing your notice with an attorney.
How do I fight my landlord in San Francisco?
Start with a free case review. Bring your lease, your eviction notice if you received one, and any written communications with your landlord about the issue. We review what you have, assess whether you have a viable claim, and advise you on the realistic options — whether that is negotiating a resolution, filing with the Rent Board, or pursuing a civil lawsuit. You do not need to figure out the path forward on your own.
Is it legal for my landlord to retaliate against me for reporting conditions?
No. California law prohibits landlords from retaliating against tenants who report habitability issues, contact city agencies, or assert any legal right. Retaliation can include threats of eviction, rent increases, reduction of services, or harassment. If your landlord's behavior toward you changed after you made a complaint or requested repairs, that change in conduct may itself be the basis for a legal claim.
What is a constructive eviction?
A constructive eviction occurs when a landlord's failure to maintain the property or deliberate interference with the tenant's right to quiet enjoyment makes the unit effectively uninhabitable — forcing the tenant to leave even without a formal eviction notice. If you have been driven from your home by conditions the landlord refused to address, you may have a constructive eviction claim even if you were never served with an eviction notice.
Don't Leave Without Knowing What the Law Gives You
A free case review costs you nothing and tells you exactly where you stand before you make any decisions about your housing. Gene personally reviews tenant rights cases and calls qualified clients back directly.
Говорим по-русски. Se habla español.