April Fools? The eviction tsunami never came ashore. In fact, eviction notices are on the decline in San Francisco. 

By law, San Francisco’s Residential Rent Stabilization and Arbitration Board must give the Board of Supervisors an annual report on the number of eviction notices filed in the city. The latest numbers came off the press on April 1st. These metrics represent eviction notices from March 1, 2023, through February 29, 2004.

Out of 797 eviction notices - a 33% decrease from last year -  most categories are in the single and double digits. Certainly, no evidence suggests that “greed-fueled” landlords are displacing tenants en masse through no-fault evictions. Any sentiment that housing providers are abusing these no-fault reasons for eviction is misplaced. It is the fear-mongering of the boogeyman.

Christina Varner is the Executive Director of the Rent Board. While noting that “temporary capital improvement eviction notices saw increased filings from 85 to 128,” she says that “most categories saw decreases.”

Where we see any sizeable number of eviction filings is in instances when tenants commit a nuisance or are in breach of their rental agreement, yet even these are down from the year before.

The cerebral types can get the full report here.