SF Tenant’s Union

Very nice people, I had 3 of them helping me at once. Unfortunately they appear to know what is their book and nothing else. The information from their book is primarily from the info on SF rent control boards website. If you have complicated rent ‘banking’ issues, the rent board has a great website and you can call and talk to a counselor on the phone. If you are taking an action based on your advise from the tenant’s union, you might want to double check it with the rent board.

While they have their hearts in the right place, this tenants union appears to be run by the uninformed, unintelligent, borderline unwilling to help. When I presented my case to them, their response was that there was nothing that I could do. This was not only useless information, delivered in a hopeless manner, but more importantly untrue.
One afternoon on google and I knew more about tenants’ rights then this so called tenants union. We now have found someone that has presented us with our multiple options, and can help us fight our evection.
I hear that there is a place down by city hall where law students provide the same service as the tenant’s union, but run by people who actually are useful.

BEST PLACE FOR HELP IN WORST PLACE FOR EVICTION. Adjustable pay scale — inherently empathetic and sincere. Get your knowledge on and Defend the Rights you have been awarded because those brave martyrs gave their lives for us to have such freedoms. Use it!

You definitely have to call right before you want to go to make sure someone is there unfortunately nobody changed the message and I went all the way over there only to see a sign saying the counsellor was sick however a nice person did let me sign up to become a member and I plan to go again this week

Totally depends on who you get. Staff there are volunteers, some of them ore former or practicing attorneys or paralegals, but some are not, although all are experienced.
If you don’t know a thing about SF rent laws and regulations, this is a place to start.
It makes sense to become a member and get a book — it has tons of useful information. But if you’ve done your own research and read the book they sell, and if your case is complex and not covered in the book, they will offer very little information, but can refer you to a tenants affirmative lawyers for legal advice.
Pro: Great informational start, might suffice in most situations.
Cons: You have to come in person, and if you need a legal advice, this place is not enough.

Excellent. I am looking forward to finding a couple hours every couple weeks to volunteer and enter some data (at 90 wpm, yeah that’s right!)…
My counselor/​lawyer Paul was so patient, knowledgeable, and even though he had a lot of people to get through before leaving at 5pm, he did it without rushing anyone. They have toys and books for kids (yes, my 4 year old was tearing it up!) and a lot of information in print outs. Sitting and listening to other people’s story was also very helpful.
I thought that I might be being harassed by my landlord, or that I just pissed them off and they sent me a bogus 3 day notice — and Paul put my fears to rest and gave me some great advice. If you are rent controlled, and live in San Francisco (Warda, take down your stupid review, they can’t help you because they are specialists in San Francisco tenant law not San Mateo) then join and pay the $ 25 — $ 40…you will need advice from this organization given what is happening in the city.

I was there right when they opened at 5:30 pm. The lady or counselor idk what she was, said «oh my god is this the line, God help me» The line had 5 people. She refused to help me since I am living in San Mateo county and I just wanted an advice on what to do. I am very very disappointed with this place.

This service is great! The counselors are really nice and helpful. They give each person as much time as needed to discuss their issue and make sure they understand everything before they leave. They even stayed open later than their posted hours to be able to hear everyone who had been waiting. They have a great deal of patience listening to an endless flow of people with rental problems and address each one with care and good advice. I felt much better after talking to them. I left with information and peace of mind. The service is definitely worth the donation.

So glad this exists. I spoke with Renee, who was very nice and very helpful. Let me know my rights as a tenant that I didn’t even know I had. I will recommend you guys to literally everyone I know in SF. It will definitely come in handy dealing with some of these shady landlords. Thanks again Renee!

The services you will receive here are worth their weight in gold. They helped me deal with a super creepster master tenant who was giving me an ulcer, who was threatening my roommates, breaking into our rooms when we were gone, stealing our food and common items, locking us out from the bathroom for hours on end, withholding my security deposit when I moved, and being a generally horrible excuse for a human being. While I was eventually able to resolve everything without going to court, the sanity I had restored to me after a visit here was priceless.
I recommend you call ahead and see what their hours are — usually they have time slots open during weekdays and the weekend — and get there as soon as they open. ALSO: buy the handbook, if you can. It will be a handy weapon in your future valiant fights against creepster roommates and menacing landlords.

Thank the housing gods for Saturday hours at this place. Fortunately I only waited a few minutes before I was helped. «Legal» advice minus the lawyers. Basically a $ 20 pep talk, but it encouraged me to stand up to my landlord, save me thousands of dollars and keep my apartment. I had looked into the Rent Board ordinances already, and the 2 counselors I spoke with weren’t exactly knowledgeable on every one (they were referring to a booklet) but they knew the gist of things and basically screamed «NO NO NO NO!!» at everything I told them my landlord was trying to get away with …[ie. snooping around my apartment during a standard repair, trying to forbid a new roommate from moving in, and constant unfounded threats to evict, etc].
Bottom line is don’t trust ANYTHING your landlord says, and do as much research you can before giving into their every crazy whim. Tenants definitely win in SF.

This place is amazing! Sure some workers may not be complete experts on every law, civil code and statute, but they try their best to help you and if you sign up and pay the membership fee you get a tenants union handbook that is SUPER HELPFUL! They have helped me out in a lot of really shady situations and I am super thankful to them for that. They might not have all the answers people are looking for but they do help point you in the right direction! Some counselors definitely are more helpful than others, but just like with anything else ya gotta feel it out and see who works for you

I have used the services of SFTU in the past, then the flat FEE was $ 25. They were mostly helpful, but their handbook seems to be the best deal. I havr to join them again (mainly for their handbook) as I being a tenant myself, am having serious issues of another ‘tenant’ who may not even be a legal tenant but a ‘guest’ of the renter of the flat above me. So far as I may know, this person in question may be a squater, or trespasser (in legal terms). Further illegal and unauthorised construction and remodelling has been going on even well after ten o’clock at night. This might be for a very illegal purpose, to house and ‘harbour’ illegal immigrants from China!
Thus two of the ‘Just Causes’ for eviction do apply here, number 3 and 4. (Go to their website and read them) My landlady and property owner is 92 yearsof age. She seems not to understand tenant/​Landlord law here in San Francisco.
My hope is that though the SFTU is basically to assist tenants with landlord problems, that I can get some help as a tenant in evicting another troublesome illegal occupant.
One thing though, I have always had (and indeed I have brought this up to the SFTU) about the term ‘donation’. The word means to freely remit to someone without being denied services. What the SFTU charges is a flexible FEE! I only wish they would use the correct legal term if the are in the business in offering legal advice! A FEE is a mandatory charge, but a donation is a VOLUNTARY one!
If you should use their services and get your situation resolved, PLEASE do me a small favour and bring this up to them! NO ONE should EVER deny services for not offering a DONATION! If on the other hand a FEE albeit flexible for low income people like myself, then PLEASE call it what it really is: a F E E !
Thanks!

When I was unemployed and beyond broke, the SFTU helped me stay — legally — in my apt.
It is important to keep in mind that everyone is a volunteer and at different stages in their legal careers. Therefore, some counselors are more knowledgeable and experienced than others as well as being more assertive or aggressive than others.
Be prepared — as emotionally difficult as your situation is, the SFTU can only assist you with what is happening to you legally. Focus on what actually occurred, the facts, and bring all documents. Ask questions and take notes.
Don’t give up! The majority of people living in SF are tenants and your landlord is making a profit on you even if you have lived in your unit for 20+ years and the rent is well below market-​rate, like me.
Be aware that everything takes time and to utilize all available resources. I was able to find excellent assistance at the SF Main Library (5^th floor — Ask to speak to the librarian — the person at the desk may only be a page), the public law library (2 locations), the SF Rent Board — although they are extremely limited as to what they can do, and the free legal clinic that occurs once a month at UC Hastings.
Please try to make a donation or become a member. SF will not survive without the SFTU.

There are some helpful people here! Here are some tips on how to get the most out of the SFTU:
— Come early to drop in hours, they can fill up. (check drop-​in hours on their website, they can change.)
— Come organized with any applicable paperwork. (Leases, court orders, landlord letters etc.)
— Know what you want to accomplish.
— Bring a notebook to take notes
— Write down an outline to crystallize your thoughts so you can explain your situation fully & succinctly.
— Bring $ 40 (or what you can afford) to obtain the helpful SFTU Handbook & to become a member.
— Don’t wait until the day before you are evicted! Sometimes drop in hours fill up so you may need to come back another day.
The SF Tenants Union is a volunteer organization. They do so much with zero resources! They only have 1 full time employee; everyone else is an unpaid volunteer. So, please remember that when you come in.
To those complaining about making a donation, get over yourself. Pay what you can and be honest. Or, offer your time as a volunteer and give back that way. If you resent being asked for a donation, go pay a lawyer $ 500 an hour.
The SFTU advocates for tenants, however, I’ve heard sometimes landlords come in and claim to be a tenant to get information to use against the tenant. So please don’t be put off if a counselor brings that up.
Their Facebook page has good stuff on it too.
And if your landlord is Donald Stroh, (750 Presidio) you need to know your rights for sure!

We made the mistake of moving into a Citiapartments managed building.
Just two months after moving in we had multiple issues and thought we’d just have to tough it out and wait until our lease was up to move out.
The tenants union helped us so much. They gave us all the forms to fill out with various city agencies, told us to call and what wording to use to get our case looked at quickly.
After the consultation they do ask for a donation but they’re not pushy at all. Plus a $ 10 donation is much cheaper than going to a lawyer who would have given us the same info.

Remember to bring in your «donation» or the counselor will give you attitude.
Before I sit down and discussed my problem with the counselor, she immediately asked if I have filled out the donation form and made a donation. I told her I had no cash on me (I swear I really had no cash on me, I forgot to go to ATM and had to use all my coins, even pennies, just to pay for MUNI) and when she heard that, she just rolled her eyes, and appeared as if she did not want to discuss the problem with me anymore. I apologized for forgetting to go to ATM (I didn’t even know why I apologized, it’s not even my fault.) but she didn’t even look at me or say anything.
Ok I know they close at 4 and it was 4.15. But I got there around 3pm and the only reason I had to wait so long was because she spent so much time talking to a «member» who was before me. I also understand they are non-​profit and depends on the donations from clients. but really, I would make my donation online if only they were more friendly and not discriminating people who forgot to go to the bank to take out some cash.

Apparently somebody out there objected to my review because I said something bad about one of the lawyers who works for this place.
Listen — when you’ve got major problems with your landlord and your roommates like I did three years ago, you don’t want somebody to give you incorrect information. And, more importantly, when you’re paying to get help getting out of a tough situation, you shouldn’t be accused of being a plant for your landlord, as I was. When you go to this place in person, beware — you may find a lawyer who’s grandstanding in front of the other people who are waiting for help.
On the other hand, when I called the help line, I got good and correct advice, though admittedly, it took a week or so to hear back.
And people: tolerate a little dissent. Just because the SFTU can get you $ 10k because your apartment gets Ellised doesn’t mean they help everybody equivalently.
Oh, and for the record, here was my original review, which was negged by someone out there because I listed [unidentified SFTU lawyer’s] last name:
«So I also met with [unidentified SFTU lawyer], and I got terrible advice. He was completely wrong about my situation — which was a simple and common one in san francisco — and I had to talk to two other people who work at the SFTU to get the story straight. [unidentified SFTU lawyer] even went so far as to accuse me of being a plant for my landlord and of spying on the SFTU. I’m sorry, but the guy is a total shady prick, and it seems like he’s who you get to talk to half the time. I support this place in principle, and I did get good and correct advice from the other two people I spoke to, but remember to take everything they tell you with a grain of salt.»

Well here’s a shock…
If you don’t know what your tenants rights are in San Francisco, chances are your landlord is not going to tell you.
The SFTU provides an invaluable service (for which you should donate at least $ 25} to anyone struggling with a landlord/​tenant issue.
Legally, the rain shouldn’t be pouring into your apartment.
Legally, your electrical system should be safe, effective and working.
Legally, you should not feel threatened by a fellow tenant.
You are entitled, under the law, to «peaceful enjoyment» of your abode.
Particularly if you are renting under the auspices of a huge property management company, you may not get what you are legally entitled to without going through legal channels to get it.
Hence, The SFTU is there for you.
A saving grace in a complicated city.

My roommates and I have been in a sticky situation for over a month — one that’s involved us being displaced from our apartment for almost four weeks. Not to go into detail on the very public Internets, but let’s just say the entire experience has motivated us to jump ship and move to a new place entirely (a much nicer place for less rent, I might add).
We consulted the SF Tenant’s Union from the get-​go, and they could not have been more helpful. They thoroughly explained our rights and recommended actions for us to take on several occasions, and it’s because of this that we’ve been able to get through this whole ugly ordeal.
The housing situation in San Francisco is messy, and trustworthy landlords are difficult to come by. Do not hesitate to consult the Tenant’s Union if you ever feel uneasy about a living situation, or if you suspect that you’re being jilted. It never hurts to ask.