SF Supervisor Myrna Melgar introduced a bill co-sponsored by Supervisor Jackie Fielder that would tighten San Francisco’s definition of a “nuisance” tenant, limiting landlords’ ability to use nuisance claims to pursue evictions.
Supervisor Myrna Melgar announced the legislation Monday, explaining that the changes are intended to prevent landlords from abusing the city’s nuisance rules to target tenants, as Mission Local reports.
“I am introducing this legislation to tighten up the definition of nuisance, so people can’t scam it,” Melgar said.
The legislation, which Melgar planned to introduce Tuesday, would require a nuisance offense to be serious, such as illegally subletting or transferring a unit, seriously damaging a property, allowing others to damage it, or using the property for an illegal purpose. According to Mission Local, it would also require conduct to either be severe, or both recurring and continuing, rather than allowing any one of those factors to qualify under the current law.
Melgar said the bill was inspired in part by six seniors at 1120 Jackson Street in Chinatown who received nuisance eviction notices over allegations that they had dangerously cluttered their apartments with too many belongings.
“When I read about Sue Yeng, I cried in the office,” Melgar said.
Per Mission Local, other tenants have faced nuisance eviction attempts over allegations including stealing a neighbor’s package, using appliances in an in-law unit, or cooking late at night. Under Melgar’s proposal, the city’s definition of nuisance would also be changed so that conduct must be “so disorderly as to destroy the peace and quiet of other occupants,” removing the current reference to interference with the landlord’s comfort, safety, or enjoyment.
The legislation would also prevent landlords from pursuing an eviction over property damage if they have already accepted payment for the damage.
Fielder is reportedly co-sponsoring the bill. As SFist reported last month, Fielder introduced separate legislation with Melgar that would prohibit evictions over rent arrears of less than one month’s rent. The proposals come as San Francisco rents remain high and eviction notices have increased.
Mission Local reports that there were 423 nuisance eviction notices filed in fiscal year 2025-26, up 31% from 323 the previous year and 47% from 288 in 2023-24. Evictions for breach of lease were nearly as common, with 397 notices filed during the most recent fiscal year.
San Francisco reportedly recorded 1,495 total eviction notices last year, the highest number since the pandemic began and a 62% increase from 921 in 2024. Mission Local notes the actual number is likely higher because landlords are not required to report evictions based on nonpayment.
The Mission recorded 170 eviction notices last year, its highest total since 2016 and its sixth-highest number since 2007.
Molly Goldberg, director of the Anti-Displacement Coalition, told Mission Local landlords can use current nuisance and lease violations as ways to push out longtime tenants and then re-rent their units at higher prices.
“If you can just empty out a unit of someone who’s been living in there for 30, 40, 50 years and suddenly jack up the rent to whatever you think you can get away with, suddenly landlords are looking for things that they can call a nuisance,” Goldberg said.
Related: SF Supervisor Introduces Proposal Limiting Evictions Over Unpaid Rent
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