» Land Use, Permits and Appeals

Under current law, San Francisco homeowners whose property includes an Unauthorized Dwelling Unit, or UDU, have few good options. A UDU is defined in San Francisco Planning Code Section 317(b)(13) as one or more rooms within a building that have been… Read More

A Tenancy in common (TIC) is a form of property ownership with a rich history in California, dating back to the early days of statehood. In a TIC two or more individuals or entities collectively hold an undivided interest in real property with a cont… Read More

A bill sponsored by Supervisors Myrna Melgar and Joel Engardio, creates a citywide “Family Housing Opportunity Special Use District” (SUD). The bill passed unanimously by the Board of Supervisors on July 25, 2023 and is expected to be signed by M… Read More

Eminent Domain concerns the right of the government or other authorized entity to force a sale of private property for “public use.” The law of eminent domain is grounded in both federal and state constitutions, and as long as certain statutorily… Read More

San Francisco property owners should think twice before commencing construction projects without proper permits and approvals. On March 21, 2023, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed Ordinance No. 220878, which significantly increases fines… Read More

The last day of February marks the end of the first reporting period for San Francisco’s new Commercial Vacancy Tax. The tax was approved in March of 2020 by more than 70% of San Francisco voters, and is codified in Article 29 of the San Francisco… Read More

The Housing Accountability Act (HAA) limits the ability of a local government to deny housing development projects so long as the project complies with all applicable, objective general plan and zoning standards. However, the HAA also contains a pote… Read More

San Francisco is facing an upcoming deadline to submit its new Housing Element to the state by January 31, 2023. If it fails to meet this deadline, savvy developers may be at the ready to submit projects under the “builder’s remedy” on February… Read More