San Francisco Bars Evictions Over Less Than One Month's Rent

San Francisco renters who are behind by a small amount would be shielded from eviction under an ordinance the city's Board of Supervisors passed unanimously on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, according to Mission Local. The vote itself was reported by that outlet; we found no second outlet's account of it, so treat details of the vote as single-sourced.

What the law does

Until now, the city's rent ordinance let landlords start a nonpayment eviction no matter how little was owed. Under the new law, a landlord can do so only if the tenant owes more than one month of fair-market rent as set by the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development. The 2026 HUD benchmarks for the city work out to roughly $2,500 for a studio, $3,000 for a one-bedroom and $3,600 for a two-bedroom.

The threshold uses those HUD numbers, not the tenant's actual rent. The debt itself does not disappear: once arrears pass the threshold, a landlord can still pursue an eviction, and money owed can still be collected.

Who backed it

Supervisor Jackie Fielder introduced the measure in early September, and Mayor Daniel Lurie has supported it. Reports differ on the number of co-sponsors: SFist listed five supervisors in September, while Mission Local reported seven co-sponsors by the time of the vote, which is plausible if more joined later.

Fielder said the goal is to give renters "some breathing room." She has cited a review by the Eviction Defense Collaborative finding that about a quarter of evictions in a sample of cases involved less than the threshold amount.

Opposition and legal risk

The San Francisco Apartment Association wrote to Board President Rafael Mandelman, pointing to a lawsuit in Los Angeles over a similar ordinance and arguing that the state's highest court will soon resolve whether such rules are valid. It warned that adopting the measure now invites litigation. Oakland, Berkeley and Los Angeles have comparable rules.

Timing

Mission Local reported the law could take effect as early as December. No specific effective date was given, and it was not clear whether further board action is required.

What this means for renters

• Do not ignore a notice. Arrears above the threshold can still lead to eviction, and the threshold is roughly one month, not a long grace period.
• Pay what you can, in writing. Partial payments with a paper trail help in any dispute.
• Seek help early. Tenant counseling groups can check whether a notice is valid. See our security deposit guide for related basics.
• Watch the court case. A ruling in the Los Angeles dispute could affect whether the rule holds.