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San Francisco lawmakers move to narrow 'nuisance' eviction law

San Francisco lawmakers move to narrow 'nuisance' eviction law

Rule Changes San Francisco, CA local

A surge in nuisance evictions prompts a bill to raise the bar for what counts

Today: Bill coverage spreads across SF outlets

Overview

Updated 1 hour ago

Supervisor Myrna Melgar introduced a bill Tuesday that would sharply narrow when San Francisco landlords can evict tenants as a 'nuisance,' co-sponsored by Supervisor Jackie Fielder. The proposal responds to a surge in nuisance eviction notices, which hit 423 in the fiscal year ending June 2026—up 31% from the year before and 47% from two years prior.

The bill came after six elderly households at 1120 Jackson Street in Chinatown received nuisance eviction notices over allegedly cluttered apartments. Melgar's measure would require nuisance conduct to be severe, or both recurring and continuing, and would remove references to a landlord's comfort from the definition. Landlord groups say they broadly support the intent, while tenant advocates say it closes a loophole used to push out long-term renters.

Why it matters

If the bill passes, San Francisco landlords lose a flexible tool used to evict longtime renters and re-rent units at market rates.

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Key Indicators

423
Nuisance eviction notices, FY 2025-26
Up 31% from 323 the prior year and 47% from 288 in 2023-24.
1,495
Total eviction notices last year
Highest since the pandemic began; a 62% increase from 921 in 2024.
$3,915
Average one-bedroom rent
Monthly average in San Francisco, cited by the Anti-Displacement Coalition.
92
Age of Sue Yeng Yan
Chinatown tenant who received a nuisance eviction notice in March over clutter.

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People Involved

Myrna Melgar
Myrna Melgar
District 7 Supervisor, San Francisco Board of Supervisors
Introduced the nuisance eviction reform bill
 Jackie Fielder
Jackie Fielder
District 9 Supervisor, San Francisco Board of Supervisors
Co-sponsoring the nuisance bill; separately proposed barring evictions over less than a month's rent
SY
Sue Yeng Yan
Tenant at 1120 Jackson Street, Chinatown
Received nuisance eviction notice in March; landlord later said conditions were cured
 Molly Goldberg
Molly Goldberg
Director, Anti-Displacement Coalition
Supporting the legislation
 Dave Wasserman
Dave Wasserman
Vice president, Coalition for Better Housing; landlord attorney
Broadly supportive but had not read the final text
SN
Shelby Nacino
Managing attorney, Asian Law Caucus
Helped draft the legislation

Organizations Involved

San Francisco Board of Supervisors
San Francisco Board of Supervisors
Municipal legislative body
Considering the nuisance eviction reform bill

San Francisco's 11-member city legislature, which must pass the bill for it to become law.
AD
Anti-Displacement Coalition
Tenant advocacy group
Supported the bill and helped shape it

A San Francisco tenant advocacy coalition that documented nuisance eviction abuse during the last tech boom.
AL
Asian Law Caucus
Legal advocacy organization
Represents Sue Yeng Yan; helped draft the legislation

The nation's oldest Asian American legal and civil rights organization, handling Yan's eviction case.
CB
Coalition for Better Housing
Landlord advocacy group
Cautiously supportive of the bill

A San Francisco landlords advocacy group whose vice president voiced conditional support for the bill.

Timeline

February 2026 October 2026

7 events Latest: Today
Tap a bar to jump to that date

  1. Bill coverage spreads across SF outlets

    Today Report

    SFist and Mission Local publish accounts of the legislation and its supporters and critics.

  2. Melgar announces nuisance reform bill

    Legislation

    Press conference outside 907 Valencia St.; bill introduced at Tuesday Board of Supervisors meeting.

  3. Standard reports on nuisance eviction surge and bill

    Report

    Article details 1120 Jackson St. case, eviction statistics, and planned legislation.

  4. Fielder introduces bill to bar evictions over small arrears

    Legislation

    Supervisor proposes prohibiting evictions over less than one month's back rent, co-sponsored by Melgar.

  5. Landlord retracts clutter claims against Yan

    Legal

    Nabob Hill LLC sends letter saying Yan 'cured' the conditions; she can remain in her unit.

  6. Six elderly tenants receive nuisance eviction notices

    Legal

    Landlord Nabob Hill LLC serves eviction notices to households at 1120 Jackson St. over allegedly cluttered apartments.

  7. Rent Board report shows nuisance evictions up 41%

    Report

    Annual report finds nuisance eviction notices rose from 288 to 405 year over year.

Scenarios

1

Nuisance bill passes, signed into law

Likely Resolves by Q2 2027

Discussed by: Tenant advocacy groups (Anti-Displacement Coalition, Asian Law Caucus) and supporters on the Board

The Board of Supervisors passes the bill and Mayor Daniel Lurie signs it. Eviction notices citing nuisance drop as the definition tightens, and cases like Yan's—where no tenant complained and no damage was proven—no longer qualify. Landlord groups have said they support the broad intent, reducing the odds of a veto.

2

Bill passes with weakened provisions after landlord pushback

Possible Resolves by Q2 2027

Discussed by: Coalition for Better Housing and landlord attorneys

Amendments narrow the bill's scope, perhaps preserving some landlord-friendly language or easing the 'recurring and continuing' requirement. Final law requires nuisance to be severe or continuing, but retains some room for landlord discretion. Nuisance evictions continue at a moderately elevated pace.

3

Bill stalls in committee, fails to advance

Unlikely Resolves by Q2 2027

Discussed by: Landlord attorney Dave Wasserman and observers on both sides

The bill fails to get out of committee before the legislative session ends, either due to procedural delays or insufficient votes. Fielder's rent-arrears bill faces a similar fate. The policy question is deferred, and nuisance eviction notices continue at their current elevated rate without a statutory fix.

4

Law passed, then challenged in court by landlord groups

Possible Resolves by Q2 2028

Discussed by: Coalition for Better Housing and small property owner associations

After passage, a landlord association files suit, echoing the 2022 challenge to SF's 10-day warning ordinance. A court imposes a temporary stay while the case proceeds. The law's fate ties to the court's ruling, and enforcement is paused in the interim.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

March 2022

San Francisco's 10-day warning ordinance (2022)

San Francisco required landlords to give tenants a 10-day written warning and chance to cure before filing 'just cause' evictions—the first such ordinance in California. The San Francisco Apartment Association and Small Property Owners of San Francisco Institute sued within days, and a Superior Court judge temporarily stayed the requirement.

Then

The 10-day notice requirement was put on hold pending the lawsuit, with a hearing set for May 2022.

Now

The episode showed that tenant-protection measures in San Francisco reliably trigger litigation from landlord groups, and that enforcement can be suspended while courts deliberate.

Why this matters now

The nuisance bill follows the same pattern: a tenant-protection ordinance crafted in response to documented abuse, likely to face legal challenge from property owner associations if passed.

Ongoing

Berkeley and Oakland nuisance eviction laws

Melgar's legislation is explicitly modeled on similar laws in Berkeley and Oakland that narrow the definition of nuisance for eviction purposes. Those cities tightened their codes to require more than minor or isolated conduct to justify removing a tenant.

Then

Berkeley and Oakland saw their nuisance definitions become more restrictive, protecting tenants from evictions over minor disputes.

Now

The two cities' laws have served as templates for San Francisco's current reform push, validating the approach of removing the word 'nuisance' in favor of specific, measurable conduct.

Why this matters now

The bill's drafters point to these precedents to show the approach works in neighboring California cities, giving the San Francisco measure a tested legal foundation.

Sources

(4)
SFist Mission Local The San Francisco Standard Coblentz Law