AB 2405 (Ammiano, D-San Francisco)

This bill would convert all Ellis Act court filings to general civil actions; they would not fall under the usual expedited unlawful detainer eviction process as they now do. This means that Ellis Act proceedings if challenged by a tenant in court would take years to finalize. The clerk of the court would be prohibited from allowing the general public to access the court records filed in the Ellis Act civil case. The bill will also allow a city or county to completely prohibit use of the Ellis Act by owners if the city or county has failed to identify, or make available, adequate sites to build low- and moderate-income housing to satisfy its portion of the regional housing need. Read the bill here.

SB 1439 (Leno, D-San Francisco)

This bill would authorize the County of San Francisco to prohibit an owner of a residential rental building from using the Ellis Act to withdraw those units from the market if the owner of the property has not had ownership of the building for five continuous years or more.  If the owner of the property is not a “natural person” such as a corporation, partnership, or the like, then all persons (even shareholders of a Real Estate Investment Trust) with an ownership interest in that property must have held that interest in the property for five continuous years.  In these types of ownership cases, all persons with an interest in the property must be named in a public document filed with the County of San Francisco.  No owners of the property can work with any prospective owner, agent, or employee to circumvent the provisions of this section.  Penalties of no less than $2,000 per violation would apply. The bill also prohibits a property owner from utilizing the Ellis Act on more than one property. Read the bill here.

About the Ellis Act

Learn more about the importance of this state law and CAA’s work to preserve it. Visit PreserveTheEllisAct.org