Harmony On Roommate Replacement
S.F. landlords, tenants back plan
Yumi Wilson, Chronicle Staff Writer
Wednesday, August 4, 1999
©1999 San Francisco Chronicle
Tenants and landlords in San Francisco came together yesterday to support a proposal that gives tenants the right to replace roommates who move out.
At a Board of Supervisor's committee hearing, dozens of residents favored the measure that forbids landlords from writing new apartment leases that ban tenants from bringing in a new roommate to share the rent when one of their roommates moves out.
After hearing hours of testimony, the Housing and Social Policy Committee forwarded the measure to the full board without a recommendation. The board is expected to vote on the proposal Monday.
Supervisor Mark Leno, who introduced the controversial roommate-protection measure nearly a year ago, called the committee's action a victory.
``Through a collaborative effort between landlords and tenants, legislation has been crafted and amended that I think will service the city well,'' Leno said.
Leno said the measure is needed because too many landlords are using the ``no-roommate'' clause to force tenants out of rent-controlled units. In April, for example, there were 35 cases of landlords attempting to evict tenants for illegally bringing in replacement roommates.
But Leno's measure allows tenants to replace outgoing roommates on a one-for-one basis. Once the last of the original tenants moves out, however, the lease would be broken.
The measure initially created a fiery division between landlords and tenants, with some landlord groups warning they would lose control over who lives on their property.
But Leno amended his measure so that tenants must give landlords a 14-day written notice and receive the landlord's approval before moving in another roommate. If the landlord does not respond within that time, a tenant could go ahead and move in his or her roommate.
``This clause is important because the owner will have enough time to screen the prospective roommates,'' said Janan New of the San Francisco Apartment Association, which represents landlords.
Still, some landlords continued objecting yesterday.
``This law is very bad,'' said Annie Ong, a homeowner wearing a sign that read, ``Stop the Giveaway.'' ``This scares the owners to death. They will sell their houses. They won't want to be owners. This is bad for business.''
Tenant activist Ted Gullicksen said Leno's measure is another tool in preventing landlords from getting around the city's tough rent-control laws.
``It's a big deal,'' said Gullicksen of the San Francisco Tenants Union. ``There's absolutely no legitimate reason to evict a tenant for replacing a roommate, . . . no good reason except to raise the rent.''