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Mayor Lee backs pathway to legalize in‑law units, will review tenant right‑to‑buy proposal
Summary
Mayor Lee told the San Francisco Board of Supervisors during a March 2014 policy session that he supports a voluntary pathway to legalize existing in‑law units and will review a proposal to give tenants the right to make offers to buy their buildings.
Mayor Lee told the San Francisco Board of Supervisors during a March 2014 policy question session that he supports creating a voluntary pathway to legalize existing in‑law units and will review legislation that would give tenants the right to make an offer to buy their buildings when they are put up for sale.
The comments came during the board’s special policy discussion with the mayor. President Chu opened the exchange and asked about preservation as well as the mayor’s pledge to build 30,000 units. Mayor Lee said the city must “protect, we have to stabilize, and we have to grow our housing stock” and that efforts to legalize in‑law units should not “force the hands of property owners.”
Why it matters: Legalizing in‑law units could bring thousands of units currently outside code into the regulated housing stock, potentially improving habitability and preserving lower‑cost units. Separately, proposals that would give tenants an opportunity to acquire buildings seek to keep properties affordable when ownership changes.
Most newsworthy details - Mayor Lee: “For these reasons, I'm willing to support a pathway to legalizing existing in law units. It's time to take these units out of the shadows and into the light.” - On tenant purchase legislation, the mayor said he has not yet seen detailed legislation but “will definitely review that in detail” and is “very much interested in considering” measures to stabilize residents. - The mayor said any program to legalize in‑law units should be voluntary for owners and must ensure health and safety code compliance.
Supporting details and background President Chu told the mayor that housing policy should include preservation strategies for existing affordable, rent‑controlled housing in addition to new construction. The mayor described an executive directive encouraging departments to both prioritize new affordable housing and take “concrete steps to further preserve our existing rental housing stock,” including incentives for market‑rate developers to exceed minimum affordable housing requirements. He said that expedited review for developers exceeding requirements could shorten review timelines by about 3 to 5 months.
The mayor also reaffirmed support for state legislation he said would close an Ellis Act loophole to protect tenants from speculation; he identified support for a bill by Senator Mark Leno (as stated in the transcript).
What the mayor did not commit to - Mayor Lee did not pledge immediate funding for tenant acquisition or rehabilitation programs. He said he would review tenant purchase legislation and look forward to learning details. - He did not offer specific timelines or dollar figures for a city program to rehabilitate in‑law units; he limited his commitment to considering the policy and safeguarding owner rights while ensuring health and safety standards.
Speakers quoted or referenced in this article are shown in the meeting record. The transcript indicates this discussion occurred during the special policy question period with the mayor.
