S.F. Police Code Article 49 § 4907
NOTICE AND POSTING REQUIREMENTS FOR HOUSING PROVIDERS (San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance)
Operative Text
(a) The Housing Provider shall state in all solicitations or advertisements for the rental or lease of Affordable Housing placed by the Housing Provider or on behalf of the Housing Provider, that the Housing Provider will consider for tenancy qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of this Article. (b) The HRC shall, by the operative date of this Article, publish and make available to Housing Providers, in English, Spanish, and Chinese, and all languages spoken by more than 5% of the San Francisco population, a notice suitable for posting that informs applicants for Affordable Housing of their rights under this Article. The HRC shall update this notice on December 1 of any year in which there is a change in the languages spoken by more than 5% of the San Francisco population. (c) Housing Providers shall post the notice prominently on their website and at any location under their control that is frequently visited by applicants or potential applicants for the rental or lease of Affordable Housing in San Francisco. At a minimum the notice described above shall contain the following information: (1) A description of those matters identified in Section 4906 (a) that may not be considered by the Housing Provider under any circumstances; (2) A description of the restrictions and requirements that Section 4906 imposes on Housing Providers when inquiring about Conviction History in connection with an application for the rental or lease of Affordable Housing in San Francisco; (3) The definition of Evidence of Rehabilitation and Other Mitigating Factors provided in Section 4903 , and circumstances and timeline under which the applicant or potential applicant has a right to provide such evidence as provided in Section 4906 (h); and (4) The HRC telephone number and email address the applicant or potential applicant may use to make a report if he or she believes the Housing Provider has violated any of the provisions of Article 49 . Disclaimer: This Code of Ordinances and/or any other documents that appear on this site may not reflect the most current legislation adopted by the Municipality. American Legal Publishing provides these documents for informational purposes only. These documents should not be relied upon as the definitive authority for local legislation. Additionally, the formatting and pagination of the posted documents varies from the formatting and pagination of the official copy. The official printed copy of a Code of Ordinances should be consulted prior to any action being taken. For further information regarding the official version of any of this Code of Ordinances or other documents posted on this site, please contact the Municipality directly or contact American Legal Publishing toll-free at 800-445-5588. Hosted by: American Legal Publishing
San Francisco Police Code Article 49 § 4907 establishes disclosure and posting obligations tied to the city's fair-chance housing rules for affordable housing. Rental advertisements must affirmatively state that applicants with criminal histories will be considered in line with Article 49's requirements. The San Francisco Human Rights Commission (HRC) is required to produce a multilingual notice—covering English, Spanish, Chinese, and any language spoken by more than 5% of the city's population—that summarizes applicants' rights, and housing providers must display that notice prominently online and at any location applicants are likely to visit.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Operators of affordable housing covered by S.F. Police Code Article 49 § 4907 generally ensure that every rental listing or advertisement—whether placed directly or through a third party—includes a statement that qualified applicants with criminal histories will be considered consistent with Article 49. Compliant operators obtain the HRC's official multilingual notice, post it conspicuously on their website, and display it at leasing offices or other locations where prospective applicants regularly appear. Keeping the posted notice current whenever the HRC issues an updated version is also part of ongoing compliance under § 4907.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Under S.F. Police Code Article 49 § 4907, people seeking affordable housing in San Francisco have a right to see a notice—prepared by the HRC in multiple languages—that explains what criminal history information a housing provider may not consider, the restrictions on how conviction history can be used, when and how an applicant may submit evidence of rehabilitation or other mitigating factors, and how to reach the HRC if a violation is suspected. If a rental advertisement omits the required fair-chance statement, or if the notice is not posted where applicants can readily see it, that may indicate a § 4907 violation. Tenants and applicants who believe their rights under Article 49 have not been honored can contact the HRC directly using the telephone number and email address that should appear on the posted notice, or reach out to a tenant-rights organization for general guidance.
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 3, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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