S.F. Admin. Code ch. 37 § 37.1
Title & Findings (San Francisco Rent Ordinance)
Operative Text
(a) This chapter shall be known as the Residential Rent Stabilization and Arbitration
Ordinance.
(b) The Board of Supervisors hereby finds:
(1) There is a shortage of decent, safe and sanitary housing in the City and
County of San Francisco resulting in a critically low vacancy factor.
(2) Tenants displaced as a result of their inability to pay increased rents must
relocate but as a result of such housing shortage are unable to find decent, safe and sanitary
housing at affordable rent levels. Aware of the difficulty in finding decent housing, some tenants
attempt to pay requested rent increases, but as a consequence must expend less on other
necessities of life. This situation has had a detrimental effect on substantial numbers of renters
in the City, especially creating hardships on senior citizens, persons on fixed incomes and low
and moderate income households.
(3) The problem of rent increases reached crisis level in the spring of 1979. At
that time the Board of Supervisors conducted hearings and caused studies to be made on the
feasibility and desirability of various measures designed to address the problems created by the
housing shortage.
(4) In April, 1979, pending development and adoption of measures designed to
alleviate the City's housing crisis, the Board of Supervisors adopted Ordinance No. 181-79
prohibiting most rent increases on residential rental properties for 60 days. Ordinance No. 181-
79 is scheduled to expire no later than June 30, 1979.
(5) The provisions of Ordinance No. 181-79 have successfully reduced the rate
of rent increases in the City, along with the concomitant hardships and displacements. However,
a housing shortage still exists within the City and County of San Francisco and total deregulation
of rents at this time would immediately lead to widespread exorbitant rent increases and
recurrence of the crisis, problems and hardships which existed prior to the adoption of the
moratorium measure.
(6) This ordinance shall be in effect for fifteen (15) months. During this time, a
Citizens' Housing Task Force shall be created to conduct a further study of and make
recommendations for, the problems of housing in San Francisco. In the interim, some
immediate measures are needed to alleviate San Francisco's housing problems. This
ordinance, therefore, creates a Residential Rent Stabilization and Arbitration Board in order to
safeguard tenants from excessive rent increases and, at the same time, to assure landlords fair
and adequate rents consistent with Federal Anti-Inflation Guidelines.Section 37.1 of the San Francisco Administrative Code establishes the formal title and legislative findings behind the city's Residential Rent Stabilization and Arbitration Ordinance. The Board of Supervisors recorded that a severe housing shortage in San Francisco was causing displacement, financial hardship, and disproportionate harm to seniors, fixed-income residents, and low- and moderate-income households. This section frames the ordinance's core purpose: creating a Rent Stabilization and Arbitration Board to protect tenants from excessive rent increases while ensuring landlords can receive rents consistent with applicable guidelines.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under § 37.1, the Board of Supervisors formally declared that San Francisco's housing shortage justified the creation of a rent stabilization framework, and that framework is the legal foundation for the obligations that follow throughout Chapter 37. Operators who rent residential property in San Francisco generally familiarize themselves with the ordinance's stated purpose—protecting tenants from excessive increases while preserving landlords' right to fair and adequate rents—because that balance shapes how later provisions are interpreted and enforced.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Section 37.1 reflects the Board of Supervisors' formal finding that rent stabilization exists specifically to shield renters—particularly seniors, people on fixed incomes, and lower-income households—from displacement caused by excessive rent increases. Because this section establishes the ordinance's protective purpose, tenants sometimes reference it when seeking to understand the intent behind specific rules in Chapter 37. Tenant-rights organizations in San Francisco can help renters understand how § 37.1's findings connect to the substantive protections available under the rest of the ordinance.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated September 4, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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