San Francisco is expensive and many landlords these days want to cash in on the new Twitter/tech boom. One of the easiest ways to remove rent-controlled tenants is to sue them for illegal subletting. Read More →

The landlord's rationale to steal your pot rack has been employed by the rich and powerful and two-year-olds for eons--I want it, so now it's mine and here's a rule I just made up to justify my keeping it. Read More →

Normal wear and tear to carpets, drapes and other furnishings cannot be charged against a tenant's security deposit. (Civil Code Section 1950.5(e).) Read More →

Civil Code § 1950.5, the statute dealing with the collection and refund of security deposits, does not allow deductions for utility bills. Read More →

"Landlords: They are legion, they do not forgive, they do not forget. Expect annual rent increases." Read More →

It's not enough that we in the tenant defense business have to deal with unscrupulous and/or uninformed landlords, we have to deal with tenants who decide they own their units and rent them out like landlords. Read More →