TENANT LAWYERS
AGGRESSIVE. DEDICATED. PROVEN RESULTS.
Wrongful Eviction
Elke & Merchant LLP are experienced wrongful eviction lawyers dedicated to protecting tenant rights throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.
Failure to Repair
All tenants have the basic right to live in a safe and habitable home. If your landlord refuses to make necessary repairs, you have rights.
Landlord Harassment
It is illegal under both state and local law for a landlord to harass you or discriminate against you as a tenant.
Tenant Lawyers
San Francisco Tenant Lawyers Who Will Fight For You
Elke & Merchant LLP are experienced tenant lawyers dedicated to protecting tenant rights throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. We represent tenants in all types of actions against landlords, including eviction defense, Rent Board petitions, and affirmative lawsuits related to wrongful eviction, harassment, and habitability issues.
Tom Elke and Alex Merchant have helped clients secure millions of dollars and tried over twenty-five jury trials to verdict.
We only represent tenants. Never landlords.
Tenant News
SF Rent Board Announces Annual Allowable Rent Increase Will Be 0.7%
The San Francisco Rent Board announced the annual allowable rent increase for rent increases that go into effect between March 1, 2021 and February 28, 2022. The annual allowable rent increase for San Francisco tenants covered by the rent control protections of the San Francisco Rent Ordinance will be 0.7%. This amount is calculated as 60% of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for All Urban Consumers in the San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose region, which was 1.1%. The annual allowable limit for rent increases that went into effect between March 1, 2020 and February 28, 2021 is 1.8%. Note that the annual… CONTINUE
Read MoreSan Francisco Extends Eviction Moratorium Through March 31, 2021
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed an amendment to the San Francisco Rent Ordinance extending the eviction moratorium to all evictions through March 31, 2021, with three exceptions. The three exceptions are: The eviction moratorium does not prohibit an eviction if it is necessary due to violence, threats of violence, or health and safety issues. The eviction moratorium does not prohibit Ellis Act evictions. The eviction moratorium does not prohibit evictions due to unpaid rent or any other unpaid financial obligation of a tenant under the tenancy that came due between March 1, 2020 and January 31, 2021. Separate… CONTINUE
Read MoreCalifornia Covid-19 Tenant Protections
On August 31, 2020, California enacted the Tenant, Homeowner and Small Landlord Relief and Stabilization Act of 2020 (also known as AB 3088) to provide protections to tenants affected by Covid-19. Note that because the California tenant protections are stronger than those recently put in place at the federal level by the CDC, the CDC protections do not apply to California. Also note that San Francisco has additional Covid-19 tenant protections. The California Department of Real Estate has published guidelines describing the California protections. The guidelines are: If you were unable to pay all or some of your rent between… CONTINUE
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