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SF Supervisors to Weigh Tightening Rules on Nuisance Evictions as Notices Jump 41%
San Francisco Supervisor Myrna Melgar's ordinance to raise the bar for nuisance evictions goes before committee Monday, amid a 41% spike in such notices and a citywide rent emergency. The measure would clarify nuisance standards, bar evictions when landlords let tenants fix damage, and set a three-year limit on wrongful eviction claims.
San Francisco supervisors will take up legislation Monday that would make it harder for landlords to evict tenants over nuisance complaints, a response to a sharp rise in such notices and to what supporters describe as a rental market that rewards displacing long-term residents.
The ordinance, introduced in October by Supervisor Myrna Melgar, would clarify what counts as a nuisance and raise the threshold for evicting residential tenants on those grounds. It would also prohibit evictions tied to property damage when a landlord has allowed the tenant to repair or pay for the damage, and it would establish a three-year statute of limitations for wrongful eviction claims.
Melgar said the proposal grew out of a Nob Hill case in which tenants alleged their landlord used exaggerated nuisance complaints as a pretext for eviction. The San Francisco Rent Board reported in April that nuisance eviction notices rose 41% between March 2025 and February 2026.
âI donât think itâs because overall tenants are 40% more annoying,â Melgar said. âI think thereâs something going on that is fueling this.â
She pointed to record-high rents as the driver, saying the market has âadded this market-based incentive for landlords to evict long-term tenants, to try and get higher rents for their apartments.â Protecting tenants in the current climate, she added, is essential.
The vote comes after Mayor Daniel Lurie declared a rental emergency in September, citing surging rents and evictions. Lurie said at the time that many residents are asking âwhether they can still afford to live here,â and his office announced a $30 million package aimed at shielding renters from unfair evictions, preventing sudden rent spikes and giving tenants legal tools and information to assert their rights against unlawful landlord behavior.
The committee hearing is the first major test for the measure. If it advances, the full Board of Supervisors would later vote on whether to send it to the mayor. Tenant advocates have argued that nuisance complaints are easily weaponized against rent-controlled tenants, while landlord groups have warned that overly broad protections could make it harder to address genuinely disruptive behavior.
The debate unfolds against a backdrop of intense pressure in the cityâs rental market. With vacancy low and rents at record highs, even a small increase in eviction filings can translate into significant displacement, particularly for tenants in older, rent-controlled units. The Rent Boardâs data suggests that nuisance filings, once a relatively rare tool, are becoming more common.
Melgarâs ordinance would not eliminate nuisance evictions but would require landlords to meet a clearer and higher standard before pursuing them. The provision allowing tenants to cure damage â repairing or paying for it â is intended to prevent evictions over issues that could be resolved. The three-year window for wrongful eviction claims would give tenants more time to challenge improper filings.
Supervisors will meet Monday to consider the legislation in committee. A full board vote has not yet been scheduled.