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San Francisco Soft Story Program and AB 1506

 

Soft Story Program Continued: What Does This Mean for Tenants?

Unfortunately for current tenants living in buildings on the soft story building list, this might affect your living situation. Depending on where your unit is located in the building, you may have to deal with the noise of the construction as well as the chance of being moved out of your unit altogether. Fortunately, the majority of tenants will NOT have to be temporarily moved elsewhere, but for those who do, you should know your rights as a renter.

First off, expect a formal notice from your landlord/property manager at least 60 days in advance informing you of your affected unit. Like mentioned before, not every unit is affected by the retro fit, and the majority of units affected by soft story are on the first floor or above the garage (if applicable). Secondly, for those affected by the soft story retrofit, you should start to research your rights. All of the information on the soft story retrofit program can be found on San Francisco Rent Board at https://tinyurl.com/y9c4ten4 . Tenants affected will receive compensation, depending on how long you will be required to move out of your unit. The length of time you will be required to live elsewhere SHOULD be on your 60 day notice. Lastly, after the soft story retrofit to your building, be prepared for your rent to increase, because your landlord now has the opportunity to file a capital improvement passthrough petition to increase rent in the building. For those unfamiliar with the capital improvement passthrough, San Francisco’s Rent Board describes it as “A capital improvement is one that materially adds to the value of the property, appreciably prolongs its useful life, or adapts it to new uses, and which may be amortized over the useful life of the improvement of the building. Examples of capital improvements include new windows, a roof replacement and exterior painting. Repair and maintenance work, such as replacing a broken window pane, patching a roof or clearing a clogged pipe, are not capital improvements.” Since ultimately the soft story program is a safety improvement to the building you live in, it could be passed on as a capital improvement, so be prepared.

 

 

 

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