Here we are, in 2026, over a decade after the launch of Apartment Sadness as a column on SFist. And while some things have changed, not a lot has changed except that everything costs more than it did 10 years ago.
The column has only been an occasional one in the last couple of years, largely because the days of egregiously priced, depressingly tiny, poorly constructed and/or jerry-rigged rental units mostly ended during the pandemic years — and even in the couple years before 2020, demand seemed to be a little less frenzied than it was in 2015/2016 when it felt like landlords were getting away with a lot.
What stood out to me most in scanning Craigslist today is that studios in the Tenderloin, which used to be among the most affordable options in town, have really creeped up in price. And while $2,000 a month may be considered affordable in the current market, if all it's getting you is a Tenderloin studio with no counter space, maybe it's time to reconsider roommates.
A couple examples of what's renting for $1,995/mo in the 'loin right now:
The spacious kitchen seen above, which is not even helped by whatever fisheye lens is on that camera, is in a $1,995/mo studio at Leavenworth and O'Farrell. Suffice it to say there is no room for a toaster, let alone a microwave, and nobody's hanging out in this kitchen at a party.
The main room attached to the kitchen(ette) sseen above also must be quite small, because again, that lens has made the whole thing misshapen in a way that screams "ten-foot-by-twelve-foot box."
Moving on, we have this building, the 1030 Post Street Apartments, which appears to have been possibly emptied out of previous tenants and recently renovated. There are multiple ads currently on Craigslist showing the same photos, depicting different units and the lobby area of this same building, which is on Post between Larkin and Hyde, and is labled "Nob Hill."
Something is going on with those earthquake retrofit beams which they do not want you to see in the unit pictured above, because that room off to the side there is never pictured — you can tell, though, that those beams probably cutting awkwardly through that other room.
On the plus side, the carpet looks new, if cheap, and a kitchenette from a different unit seen below shows that some units have hardwood-appearing vinyl flooring.
The building must have a bunch of empty units, because there are ads with a variety of different headlines and text but the same set of photos, saying things like "Accepting Section 8!" and "Attentive Friendly Staff, Heating, Garbage Disposal, Vinyl/Plank."
The text also refers to both studio and one-bedroom units available, but the same price, $1,995/mo, is listed on all of the ads.
This unit above is another building at 350 Turk, Mosser Towers, which, hilariously, is being advertised with the headline, "$1,895 Cozy Unit near Westfield San Francisco Centre!"
Not only did the "Westfield" part of the name get dropped three years ago, but the entire mall has been mostly vacant for about a year and completely closed its doors in January, so that shouldn't be a selling point. Perhaps this is a case of an absentee owner or out-of-state management company?
And while $1,845 I guess is a bargain nowadays for a Tenderloin studio, an ad for one studio unit at 225 Taylor Street is made more alarming by the fact that it features seven photos, none of which show the apartment itself.
How sad must the apartment be that the person posting this ad opted for just five extierior shots of this beleaguered building (see above) on a fairly beleagured block of Taylor Street, along with two shots of a sad basement laundry room with three coin-op machines (see below).
The unit has a "stainless gas range" and "recycle and compost service," and much like all of the Tenderloin and much of SoMa, it is "walking distance to the Financial District."
Anyway, the tip line is open at [email protected] if you see a deserving apartment ad to be featured on Apartment Sadness. And if you're out there looking for a place these days, godspeed.
