Why is getting the rent control status of your unit correct so important? 

Navigating the world of rental property management comes with a maze of legal responsibilities—and one of the most critical factors to understand is whether your property is subject to rent control. For landlords, this isn’t just a legal technicality. Rent control can significantly impact how much you can charge for rent, when and how you can increase it, and even your ability to evict tenants. Failing to understand your property’s rent control status can lead to costly legal missteps, compliance issues, and potential tenant disputes. 

Not Knowing A Units Just Cause Status Can Be Costly

Failing to understand whether a rental unit is subject to Just Cause for Eviction protections can lead to serious legal and financial consequences for owners and managers. Attempting to evict a tenant without proper cause in regulated areas can result in lawsuits, hefty penalties, and damage to a landlord’s reputation. As tenant protection laws expand and evolve, staying compliant becomes more complex — and ignorance of the law offers no protection. Uncertainty around a unit’s status can also delay or derail property sales, as buyers seek assurance that all tenant issues are resolved. For landlords, this makes legal guidance not just helpful, but essential to avoiding costly mistakes and safeguarding their investments.

Why Rent Control Status Matters in Automated Legal Workflows

Joiner’s real estate management platform streamlines critical landlord functions—automating everything from rent increase notices and notices of entry to cure-or-quit and pay-or-quit notices. Each of these documents is generated with built-in legal disclosures tailored to your property’s specific requirements. One key factor that shapes these legal templates? Rent control status. Whether or not a unit is subject to rent control directly impacts what language and requirements must be included in the notices you serve. That’s why accurately identifying rent control status isn’t just important—it’s essential for compliance and avoiding legal risk.

Disclaimer & Legal Guidance

This post is designed to help you assess whether your rental unit falls under rent control by summarizing key aspects of applicable laws. However, it is not a substitute for legal advice. Because rent control regulations vary widely by city and sometimes county —and because a unit not covered by a local ordinance may still fall under California’s statewide rent control and just cause eviction laws (see this post) —it’s important to consult the relevant local statutes or seek advice from a qualified attorney to make a definitive determination.

Joiner partners with BrightWork Law PC, a firm known for delivering efficient, cost-effective legal counsel tailored to the needs of property owners and managers across California. If you are not sure about the status of your unit we recommend that you contact BrightWork or any other law firm.

San Francisco Rent Control and Just Cause Ordinance Applicability 

San Francisco, California has implemented a rent control and just cause for eviction ordinance which can be found here. 

Definition of Rental Unit

In San Francisco the rent control measure covers “rental units” which are defined in the ordinance as “all residential dwelling units in the City together with the land and appurtenant buildings thereto, and all housing services, privileges, furnishings, and facilities supplied in connection with the use or occupancy thereof, including garage and parking facilities”. 

A slightly different definition is contained in the San Francisco Rent Board regulations: “‘Rental Unit’ means a residential dwelling unit, regardless of zoning or legal status, in the City and County of San Francisco and all housing services, privileges, furnishings (including parking facilities supplied in connection with the use or occupancy of such unit), which is made available by agreement for residential occupancy by a tenant in consideration of the payment of rent”, this more refined definition excludes a residential use by a person that was not agreed to be in the unit – such as a squatter. 

Rent Control Application

The ordinance applies to all such units except for the following: 

• Hotels, motels, inns, tourist houses, rooming and boarding houses that are not rented for 32 days or more in a continuous occupancy. 
• Units in nonprofit cooperatives owned by majority of the members. 
• Units in hospitals, convents, monasteries, extended care facilities, asylums, residential care or adult day health care facilities for the elderly (if licensed). 
• Dormitories owned and operated by an institution of higher education, high school, or an elementary school. 
• Certain government managed or owned units or certain types of low income housing. 
• Units built after June 13, 1979 (though note they still may be covered by California’s statewide rent control laws). 

Just Cause Application

In San Francisco the just cause measure covers residential “rental units”, as described above,  except for the following: 

• Hotels, motels, inns, tourist houses, rooming and boarding houses that are not rented for 32 days or more in a continuous occupancy. 
• Units in nonprofit cooperatives owned by majority of the members. 
• Units in hospitals, convents, monasteries, extended care facilities, asylums, residential care or adult day health care facilities for the elderly (if licensed). 
• Dormitories owned and operated by an institution of higher education, high school, or an elementary school. 
• Certain government managed or owned units or certain types of low income housing.