The South San Francisco Condominium Conversion Relocation Payment Ordinance
The City of South San Francisco provides protections for tenants in buildings undergoing conversion to condominiums, including relocation payments. Nearly all South San Francisco tenants displaced when the building undergoes a condominium conversion must receive relocation payments. Relocation provisions are part of the city’s greater condominium conversion ordinance. This article provides an overview of the South San Francisco Condominium Conversion Relocation Payment Ordinance.
Which South San Francisco Tenants Receive Protections Under the South San Francisco Condominium Conversion Relocation Payment Ordinance?
The South San Francisco Condominium Conversion Relocation Payment Ordinance covers any South San Francisco tenant that is:
- A building occupant on the date of filing of the tentative map with the City of South San Francisco; or,
- Who became a tenant that has resided at the building for at least ninety (90) continuous days before the issue date of the Department of Real Estate subdivision public report. South San Francisco Municipal Code § 19.80.190.
How Much in Relocation Assistance Are South San Francisco Tenants Entitled to Receive for A Condominium Conversion Displacement?
Under the South San Francisco Condominium Conversion Relocation Payment Ordinance, each tenant household must receive $2,000 in relocation assistance when displaced due to condominium conversion. South San Francisco Municipal Code § 19.80.170(G). Additionally, the landlord must provide the tenant household with “active assistance” in securing replacement housing.
Additionally, the landlord must create a relocation assistance plan detailing their specific commitment to provide tenants with active assistance in securing replacement housing for tenants who will be displaced. This provision intends to ensure any South San Francisco tenant displaced due to a condominium conversion secures decent, safe, sanitary, and affordable replacement housing that is not higher in cost than their existing rent.
When Must South San Francisco Tenants Receive Relocation Payments?
South San Francisco tenants must receive relocation payments within thirty (30) days of termination of tenancy. South San Francisco Municipal Code § 19.80.190. However, where the Director of the Economic & Community Development Department determines a hardship exists, the South San Francisco tenant must receive the relocation payment before they vacate the rental unit.
Which Units Are Exempt from the South San Francisco Condominium Conversion Relocation Payment Ordinance?
The South San Francisco Condominium Conversion Relocation Payment Ordinance does not apply to the conversion of residential structures to limited-equity housing cooperatives. South San Francisco Municipal Code § 19.80.040(A). Nonresidential buildings undergoing conversion into condominiums, stock cooperatives, or membership association projects are similarly exempt. South San Francisco Municipal Code § 19.80.040(B).
What Can South San Francisco Tenants Do When Their Landlord Fails to Provide Relocation Payments Under the South San Francisco Condominium Conversion Relocation Payment Ordinance?
Although the South San Francisco Condominium Conversion Relocation Payment Ordinance lacks a private right of action, South San Francisco tenants are not without recourse when their landlord refuses to provide relocation assistance due. South San Francisco tenants may take the following actions in response to landlord noncompliance:
- Report their landlords noncompliance to the South San Francisco Economic & Community Development Department by phone or email.
- File a complaint with the South San Francisco City Attorney’s Office by phone or in person by visiting 400 Grand Avenue, South San Francisco, California 94080.
- File a complaint with the California Department of Real Estate (“DRE”), which oversees the condominium conversion, by mail or online. If the DRE finds a violation, condominium sales may be halted until the landlord corrects the violation.
