SF Renter Says Landlord Is Raising Her Rent 400 Percent With $12,500 Security Deposit
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- If you rent a home -- or a room inside a single-family home -- in San Francisco these words are likely to fill you with dread: "Notice is hereby given..."
Rents all around the city have been skyrocketing in the past few years, of course, but a recent Facebook posting from a woman named Deb may represent a new low (or high) in landlord rent-raising shenanigans.
According to her posting, Deb's landlord is raising her rent by 400 percent to $8,900 per month and adding a $12,500 damages deposit to her lease in an effort to force her to leave without having to pay relocation costs.
Below, is a copy of a scan the letter she received from her landlord's attorney (with names and addresses redacted by CBS SF); we've re-typed the contents of that letter so you can read the chilling language.
It almost goes without saying, but Deb is looking for a new place to live.
NOTICE OF CHANGE IN TERMS OF TENANCY
California Civil Code, Sections 827, 1954.52
San Francisco Administrative Code, Section 37.3(d)TO:
[The tenant (redacted)]
San Francisco street address (redacted)
Including all garage and storage areas (if any)NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that as of May 5, 2015, the terms of your tenancy pursuant to the San Francisco Apartment Association Residential Tenancy Agreement (the"SFAA Lease") shall be changed as follows:
(1) Effective May 5, 2015, your monthly base rent pursuant to Section 4 of the Lease shall increase from $2145 to $8900;
(2) Effective May 5, 2015, the security deposit amount required shall increase to $12,500 per month.
This Notice is served pursuant to:
California Civil Code, Section 827; In all leases of lands or tenements from month to month, the landlord may, upon giving notice in writing to the tenant change the terms of the lease to take effect at the expiration of not less than 60 days;
California Civil Code, Section 1954.52: Notwithstanding any other provisions of law, an owner of residential real property may establish the initial and all subsequent rental rates for a dwelling or a unit that is alienable separate from the title to any other dwelling unit; and
San Francisco Administrative Code, Section 37.3(d): On or after January 1, 1999, an owner of residential dwelling or a unit which is alienable separate from the title to any other dwelling unit which was controlled by the provisions of Chapter 37 on January 1, 1996.
The entire amount of this rent increase reflects the increase authorized by the above code sections, and no portion of the increase reflects an increase authorized by any other section of the San Francisco Administrative Code.
Advice regarding this notice is available from the San Francisco Residential Rent Stabilization and Arbitration Board, located at 25 Van Ness Avenue, Suite 320, San Francisco, California.
Dated: March 2, 2015,
[Signed by the attorney for the landlord (redacted)]
