Tenant Petitions

Learn about the different claims a tenant may file at the Rent Board.

What to do

Overview

There are several types of claims that a tenant may assert against his or her landlord by filing a Tenant Petition at the Rent Board. There is no charge for filing the petition. In many cases, a petition is resolved after a mediation session, although sometimes an arbitration hearing before an Administrative Law Judge is required.

The tenant may combine more than one type of claim in a Tenant Petition. The types of claims that may be included in the petition are:

The following types of claims may also be filed at the Rent Board, although they may not necessarily be scheduled for a hearing or mediation:

Please note that the Rent Board cannot decide matters that are not covered by the Rent Ordinance. For example, we do not adjudicate issues that are not related to the amount of rent charged, such as harassment, discrimination and retaliation. We also do not adjudicate issues involving security deposits. Such matters must be decided in court or another forum.

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Rent Board

25 Van Ness Avenue
Suite #320
San Francisco, CA 94102

Phone

Rent Board counseling line

The office is open for drop-in services Monday through Friday (10:00AM - 2:00PM).

Phone counseling hours are Monday - Friday (9:00 a.m. – Noon and 1:00 – 4:00 p.m)

Last updated November 9, 2022

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