San Francisco mayor proposes six renter ordinances, but none is law yet

San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie announced six proposed renter-protection ordinances on September 10, as rents and eviction notices rise across the city. The package could increase Ellis Act relocation payments, expand eviction-defense aid and limit some large rent increases, but the measures are proposals—not currently enforceable law.

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors has a regularly scheduled meeting listed for Tuesday, September 15, 2026. However, the city’s accessible schedule page did not verify that all six proposals are on that meeting’s agenda. At least one related measure, an unpaid-rent ordinance, has been formally introduced and assigned to committee.

What the six proposals would do

• Set an unpaid-rent eviction threshold: A landlord could not evict a residential tenant for unpaid rent below the local federal fair-market rent standard for an equivalent-sized rental unit. The measure was introduced September 1 as File 260962 and assigned under the Board’s 30-day rule to the Land Use and Transportation Committee.
• Increase Ellis Act payments: Relocation payments would rise by 25% for tenants displaced when owners withdraw rent-controlled units from the rental market under the Ellis Act.
• Expand eviction-defense representation: The mayor’s proposal would add $3 million to provide comprehensive legal representation for about 400 additional households facing eviction.
• Cap banked rent increases: A proposal backed by Supervisor Danny Sauter would limit rent increases based on previously banked increases to 10%.
• Require annual renter notices: Tenants would receive yearly information about rent-increase rules and legal eviction protections.
• Address expiring federal vouchers: City legislation would respond to the expected loss of federal housing vouchers.

The mayor’s office also announced about $27 million in proposed rental subsidies for roughly 650 extremely low-income households whose federal vouchers are set to expire at the end of 2026. A separate $1 million “Know Your Rights” campaign would explain tenant and landlord obligations, and the city plans to direct more renters to a City Attorney complaint channel for suspected violations.

Who could be affected

The proposals could matter to rent-controlled tenants facing Ellis Act evictions, renters threatened with eviction for unpaid rent, households confronting accumulated rent increases and residents who need legal or rights information. Extremely low-income households whose federal vouchers expire could also be affected if the proposed subsidy program is approved and funded.

Most San Franciscans should not expect immediate rent relief from the announcement. The San Francisco Chronicle reported that the package is aimed at preventing displacement among vulnerable residents, while broader rent pressures would remain.

Current Ellis Act baseline

For Ellis Act notices served from March 1, 2026, through February 28, 2027, the San Francisco Rent Board lists a relocation payment of $11,110.05 per tenant. The maximum is $33,330.13 per unit, with an additional $7,443.90 for each qualifying elderly tenant age 62 or older or disabled tenant.

A 25% increase would apply to those figures only if the proposed ordinance is approved and becomes effective. Lurie’s September 10 announcement did not itself change the Rent Board’s payment schedule.

What happens next

Board records show that File 260962—the proposed unpaid-rent threshold—was introduced September 1, 2026, and assigned under the 30-day rule to the Land Use and Transportation Committee. The record shows no final action or enactment.

The legislative status of the other announced proposals should be checked through subsequent Board records for formal introductions, committee referrals, hearing notices, amendments and votes. The September 15 meeting is the next listed regular meeting, but renters should not assume the full package will be heard then.

Until the Board acts and any ordinance becomes effective, renters and landlords must follow existing San Francisco rules. Renters facing an eviction notice or housing dispute should use current city tenant-support and legal resources rather than assume the announced protections are already available.

Sources

• San Francisco Chronicle report on Mayor Lurie's renter-protection package
• Board of Supervisors legislative record for File 260962
• San Francisco Rent Board relocation-rate archive