San Francisco Supervisors approve legislation to protect renters access

By Angela Hokanson, Bay City News Service

June 27, 2006

SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) - The San Francisco Board of Supervisors today passed with a 7-4 vote legislation that limits the ability of landlords to cut off renters' access to certain facilities or areas connected with residential rental units.

Landlords may not take away renters' access to garage facilities, parking facilities, driveways, storage spaces, laundry rooms, decks, or gardens located on the same lot as the rental unit without "just cause," according to the legislation. Landlords also may not cut off renters' access to kitchen facilities or lobbies supplied in connection with units in single room occupancy hotels without just cause.

If renters' access to these types of facilities is reduced or eliminated under the conditions permitted by the legislation, the renter shall be entitled to a corresponding reduction in rent, according to the legislation.

It would be up to the Residential Rent Stabilization and Arbitration Board to determine whether the changes to access to the common areas were made with just cause, and if the rent should be reduced as a result, Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi said when the legislation passed on its first reading last week.

Supervisors Bevan Dufty, Sean Elsbernd, Fiona Ma, and Michela Alioto-Pier voted against the legislation.

The ordinance will be passed on to the mayor so that he may sign it, veto it, or return it unsigned to the supervisors.

Copyright © 2006 by Bay City News, Inc. -- Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited.

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