Rent Board Notice Regarding COVID-19
The Rent Board continues to monitor the ongoing situation regarding COVID-19 (Coronavirus Pandemic). Pursuant to the Declaration of Local Health Emergency Regarding Novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and the Order of the Health Office No. C19-05b (revised) of March 13, 2020, the Rent Board's services have been adjusted as described on this page and will be updated as we continue to respond to the changing situation.
Office Hours
The Rent Board's office is currently open to the public each weekday from 10am-2pm.
Our office is located at 25 Van Ness Avenue, Suite #320. The office remains closed to the public outside of the times shown above. To avoid overcrowding and long wait times, in-person counseling sessions are limited to 10 minutes at this time. Please note that visitors are strongly encouraged to wear masks while inside the Rent Board's office, regardless of vaccination status.
Phone Counseling
Phone counseling will continue to be available at (415) 252-4600 Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., and 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Document Filing
To file documents that only contain a few pages (including eviction notices, buyout agreements and declarations, tenant petitions, tenant hardship applications, and duplication requests), we ask that you scan and attach your documents in PDF format and send them to the following email address: rentboard@sfgov.org. Please indicate your name, phone number, the property address and case number, if any, in the email. Results of duplication requests will be mailed back to the requestor. Documents received by email after 5pm or on weekends/holidays will be stamped as received the next business day. The Rent Board is currently unable to return file-endorsed copies of email submissions via email or postal mail. If a file-endorsed copy of a submission is needed, please do not submit the filing by email. Instead, file your document in-person, or mail us the original plus a copy of the document together with a pre-addressed stamped envelope with an explanation that you are requesting a file-endorsed copy.
For filing of larger documents such as large capital improvement petitions, please file your document in-person or mail it to the Rent Board at 25 Van Ness Avenue, Suite 320, San Francisco, CA 94102.
Please understand that it may take longer than usual to process new document filings or to fulfill duplication requests at this time.
Rent Board Fee and Housing Inventory
If you received a Rent Board Housing Inventory Informational Notice but no longer own the property, please email rentboard.inventory@sfgov.org with the subject heading: "Rent Board Housing Inventory: Change of Ownership," and include the property address and the APN (Assessor's Parcel Number) with all information you have that documents the change of ownership. If possible, please include a copy of the Rent Board Housing Inventory Informational Notice in the email.
Hearings and Mediations
Hearings and mediations are currently being conducted through remote video and audio conferencing using Microsoft Teams.
If you are a party to a pending petition, please provide the Rent Board (preferably by email at rentboard@sfgov.org) with your email address and the email address of any other participants (attorneys, representatives, witnesses) who wish to appear. Your email should include (a) your name, (b) your address, (c) your phone number, and (d) the Rent Board case number, if known.
For more information, please refer to the following documents describing our Temporary Remote Hearing Procedures (English, Spanish, and Chinese) and Temporary Remote Mediation Procedures (English, Spanish, and Chinese).
Commission Meetings
The March 17, 2020 and the April 14, 2020 regular commission meetings were canceled. All Rent Board commission meetings scheduled from May 12, 2020 through October 11, 2022 were held remotely and the meeting recordings are posted here. The Rent Board's next regular commission meeting will be held on November 8, 2022 at 6:00 p.m. via Webex videoconference. Public comment may be given by telephone. The meeting agendas, together with remote board meeting public participation information, are posted at least 72 hours in advance of the meetings here. The meetings are best viewed using Chrome or Firefox.
Please check the website periodically for updates. We thank you for your cooperation and understanding.