Mayor Unveils Tenant Protection Package as Rents Surge to Record Highs
Mayor Daniel Lurie announced six proposed ordinances and $31 million in new spending on Thursday to address what his office calls a rent emergency. The mayor's office cited Apartment List data showing San Francisco's median rent rose 25.6 percent over the past year, faster than any other major U.S. city in 2026. More than 1,000 eviction notices have been filed this year, about a quarter of them for nonpayment of rent, putting the city on pace for its highest total in nearly a decade.
Housing & Land Use
6 stories, 4 outletsFake pay stubs, real evictions: How AI is fueling rental fraud in San Francisco
Landlords in San Francisco most often discover rental fraud only after a tenant has moved in, according to a new survey reported by the Standard. The survey looks at how AI-generated fake pay stubs and other documents are used to win leases.
Led by Lurie and Wong, Supes Consider Cutting New Trees For Fees
Property owners developing lots smaller than 50,000 square feet could pay a fee instead of planting new trees on site under legislation before the Board of Supervisors. Mayor Daniel Lurie and Supervisor Wong are behind the measure.
Lurie declared a rent emergency. Could he freeze rents like Mamdani?
The Standard examines whether Mayor Daniel Lurie could follow New York City in freezing rents after he declared a rent emergency. Tenant advocates told the paper that a rent freeze would not address the causes of displacement. The piece follows Lurie's package of six ordinances and $31 million in spending announced Thursday.
Chinese Association Center says new rent measures are only a first step
The Chinese Association Center called Mayor Daniel Lurie's tenant protection package a first step and said the city still needs to address what drives speculative evictions. Executive director Malcolm Yeung would not comment on individual proposals, and senior counsel Gen Fujioka said a 10 percent annual cap on banked rent increases and capital improvement costs may still be too high for low-income tenants and does not cover other increases, such as a 280 percent rise an elder near Chinatown is facing. A veteran Chinese real estate agent told the paper that tighter limits on owners could push more units off the rental market.
SF Supervisor Plans Moratorium on New Data Centers, With Permanent Ban to Follow
District 10 Supervisor Shamann Walton plans to introduce a 45-day moratorium on new data center construction as a first step toward a permanent citywide ban, as the Chronicle reports. Walton's district, which includes Bayview-Hunters Point, Visitacion Valley, Portola and Dogpatch, has two active data centers, one of which is planning a large expansion. According to Mission Local, the Board of Supervisors could extend the pause for up to 22 months and 15 days if the Planning Commission finds existing data centers threaten residents.
City sues over squatters in $4 million Sea Cliff mansion as neighbors organize a watch group
A $4 million house on 32nd Avenue in Sea Cliff has been occupied on and off since about May 2025, with its deed traded at least seven times between two people with criminal records, according to the San Francisco Standard. Neighbors reported strangers, thefts and noise, and set up a WhatsApp group to collect surveillance footage. City Attorney David Chiu has sued Brandon Aadee and Diana Peng, alleging they used forged notarized deeds to claim the property; the city treasurer asked the Board of Supervisors to auction it over more than $324,000 in unpaid property taxes.
City Hall
3 stories, 2 outletsMayor Lurie endorses Manny Yekutiel, Theo Ellington in S.F. supervisor races
Mayor Daniel Lurie endorsed Manny Yekutiel in District 8 and Theo Ellington in District 10 for the Board of Supervisors and took positions on 10 local ballot measures. The mayor had previously said he would not make endorsements in the supervisor races.
Who’s bankrolling San Francisco’s coming election? These 16 donors.
At least $18 million has been raised for San Francisco's November races, and the top 16 donors account for about $13 million of that so far. Mission Local reviewed the campaign filings.
Pelosi’s Shadow Hangs Over The Race to Replace Her
Rep. Nancy Pelosi is retiring from Congress, and State Senator Scott Wiener and San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan are competing for the seat. The Political Breakdown podcast breaks down the latest accusations and alliances in the campaign.