Board approves rent-reporting ordinance to create citywide housing inventory

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors on Dec. 1 advanced an ordinance that would require owners of residential units to report information to the Rent Board, creating a citywide housing inventory meant to give the city a clearer picture of vacancies, asking rents and landlord-tenant relationships.

Supervisor Ahsha Safaï led debate in support of the measure, citing the rapid changes in the rental market during the COVID-19 pandemic and arguing the city lacks accurate unit-level data to enforce rent-law compliance and to identify vacant or corporate-controlled units. The ordinance drew long expressions of support from supervisors, including Supervisor Aaron Peskin and Supervisor Matt Haney, who said better data is essential to craft policies to prevent displacement and to identify units that could be used in emergencies.

The ordinance would require owners to report standardized information to the Rent Board, authorize the board to issue licenses tied to reporting compliance and create enforcement and inspection tools. Supervisors said the Rent Board and the Department of Building Inspection worked with the ordinance sponsor to add implementation flexibility and technical amendments to reduce compliance burdens on small owners.

The board voted 11-0 to pass the measure on first reading. Supporters said the inventory will allow the city to monitor corporate rentals and to study vacancy patterns; opponents were not recorded during the debate. The legislation will return for a second reading and final passage.

The measure is sponsored by Supervisor Dean Preston and co-sponsored by multiple board members. It was presented at the Dec. 1 meeting after committee amendments that, officials said, were intended to make implementation manageable for the Rent Board and property owners.