Commission splits on $52 per‑unit housing inspection fee; tie vote forwards measure to Board of Supervisors

The Building Inspection Commission voted on May 20 and ended in a 3–3 tie on whether to recommend support for an ordinance that would add a $52 annual fee per rental unit for 1‑ and 2‑family dwellings to pay for complaint‑driven housing inspection services. Because the motion to forward the commission’s endorsement failed to receive a majority, staff said the item will be presented to the Board of Supervisors as-is.

Sheila Chunghagen, representing Supervisor David Campos, framed the ordinance as an ‘‘equity’’ measure to recover costs the department currently absorbs for inspecting small rental properties. Chunghagen said the fee is intended to expand the existing licensing fee program so smaller landlords also contribute to the cost of housing inspection services.

Rosemary Boske, Chief Housing Inspector for DBI, said the amount — $52 per unit — is modest and based on the department's fee study. She told commissioners the fee is roughly half of a clerical hour and would primarily fund the database to identify rental units and capture administrative costs that are currently unrecovered. Staff estimated that, as the rental database is completed, the fee could raise approximately $1 million the first year and between $1.5–2.5 million thereafter; a top‑end, back‑of‑the‑envelope calculation using 60,000 rental 1–2 family units yields about $3.5 million.

Supporters from tenant‑advocacy and community organizations urged the commission to approve the measure, arguing that cuts to housing inspectors would disproportionately harm low‑income renters and that inspection presence prevents life‑safety hazards. Opposition centered on fairness: several commissioners and small property owners said a small number of problem properties (staff estimated roughly 200–300 complaint‑intensive cases per year) create the bulk of costs, and questioned whether it is appropriate to charge the broad base of landlords for the minority of violators. Some commissioners suggested pursuing administrative citations and better cost recovery from violators instead.

A roll call vote on the motion to support the measure produced the following recorded positions: Vice President Hetchanova — No; Commissioner Clinch — No; Commissioner Lee — No; Commissioner Levitt — Yes; Commissioner Romero — Yes; Commissioner Walker — Yes. President Murphy had recused himself from the item. The commission therefore had a tie, and staff indicated the measure will be forwarded to the Board of Supervisors for consideration.

What it would do: The ordinance (file no. 90,473, sponsored by Supervisor Campos) would amend the San Francisco Building Code and the San Francisco Housing Code to permit DBI to charge $52 per rental unit for ongoing complaint‑driven housing code enforcement for 1‑ and 2‑family rental dwellings; the measure was vetted by the Housing Code Subcommittee and the Code Advisory Committee but has drawn active public comment.

What happens next: The Board of Supervisors will consider the ordinance; DBI staff said they will continue to develop the rental unit database and refine revenue estimates.