legislative updateS

The SFAA is dedicated to keeping our members informed about new and proposed laws in San Francisco while fighting to protect the rights of rental property owners. Because San Francisco land use policy changes so often, it is nearly impossible for property owners to keep abreast of the new laws.

SFAA tracks new legislative activity and translates it into understandable and concise language.

Lisa Fricke is SFAA's Government Affairs/Community Director. She can be reached at 415.255.2288 or lisa@sfaa.org.

Here are issues we're currently tracking. Select a link to learn more:

• Members of the San Francisco Apartment Association Reign Victorious!
  
  

  Congratulations SFAA members!

  After a long day of hearings and deliberations that ran late into the night, the Board of Supervisors voted July 20 on the proposed ballot measure to restructure the Rent Board. In a decisive 10-1 vote, the Supervisors agreed that the best option would be to continue the charter amendment, which guarantees that the measure will NOT be on the November 2010 ballot! Supervisor Daly was the sole member of the board to vote against the continuation.

  To all of our members who took the time to write, email, or call members of the Board of Supervisors to voice their opposition to this measure, your efforts have paid off! This is a significant victory for property owners in San Francisco and would not have been possible without your efforts. Passage of this measure would have swayed the Rent Board further towards the tenants, and would have been detrimental and extremely costly to rental owners. We are thrilled to have been able to stop the proposal!

  Thank you to Supervisors Alioto-Pier, Elsbernd, Dufty, and Chu and Mayor Newsom for their unwavering opposition on this measure.
  
  

• Voters say "yes" to four out of five SFAA endorsements
  
  The elections results are in and SFAA’s hard work has paid off!
  
  Thanks to efforts on behalf of our members, four of the five positions SFAA endorsed were agreed on by the voters!
  
  The biggest accomplishment was defeating Prop. F, which proposed to severely limit property rights through its Renters’ Financial Hardship Applications. The proposition would have ignored any financial hardships property owners may have in favor of their tenants’ hardships, and did not specify income limits on tenants claiming financial hardships, as long as the rent comprised 33 percent or more of the tenant’s gross income. Proposition F also would have extended the hardship exemption to the annual rent increase that landlords are allowed to impose.
  
  It is our belief that the rejection of Prop. F is beneficial not only to our property owners in San Francisco County, but to their tenants as well. In the long run, passage of the measure would likely have hurt both property owners and tenants because rent control does not apply to vacant properties, and landlords would likely feel compelled to charge more money when their units turn over if rents are already frozen on their occupied units.
  
  This victory is a landmark and a huge step towards reclaiming property owners’ rights in a city where renters outnumber owners 2 to 1. The election results mark a momentous day for landlords, property management companies, and individual property owners throughout the city as we continue on in the fight to protect the rights that have slowly and systematically been taken away from property owners in our beloved San Francisco.
  
  Below please find a table which delineates the seven major propositions, our position on these measures, and the election results.
  
  

• Proposition	Details	SFAA Endorsement	Election Results
  A	School Facilities Tax	No position	Yes
  B	Earthquake Safety and Emergency Response Bond	No position	Yes
  C	Film Commission	No	No!
  D	Retirement Benefit Costs	Yes	Yes!
  E	Budget Line Item For Police Department Security for City Officials and Dignitaries	No	Yes
  F	Renters’ Financial Hardship Applications	NO!	NO!
  G	Transbay Transit Center	Yes!	Yes!

• Rent Board structure
  
  The San Francisco Board of Supervisors is placing a measure on the November 2010 ballot that will change the structure of the Rent Board and have severe consequences to our industry. Read more.
  
  
• Seismic retrofit of soft-story buildings
  
  The City of San Francisco is working on a legislative proposal that would require rental housing owners to seismically retrofit certain soft story buildings. Learn more.
  
  
• Second-hand smoke
  Current status: The San Francisco Health Code has been amended to expand protections from second-hand smoke. Get details here.