Eviction notices in San Francisco rose 44% over the most recent 12-month period tracked by the city's Rent Board, reaching nearly 1,500, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Tenant advocates link the jump to the AI industry, whose high salaries are pulling more well-paid workers into a city that has long built too little housing.

The count is still well below past booms. The Rent Board recorded more than 2,800 notices in a 12-month span in 1998-99 during the dot-com era and almost 2,400 in 2015-16, the Chronicle reported. The board tracks its year from March to February, and a notice is only the first step; many end in a buyout deal rather than a court eviction. Nonpayment of rent is the leading reason given, followed by nuisance claims and breach of a rental agreement.

Rents are the pressure point

Median rents in the city are up 26% over a year, with a typical one-bedroom around $3,900, the Chronicle found. The Guardian, citing listing data, put the average one-bedroom at about $4,400 and a two-bedroom near $6,000. The Guardian also reported that the downtown clinic of the Housing Rights Committee is booking in-person appointments days out, with staff sorting through more than 150 voicemails after each weekend.

About two-thirds of San Franciscans rent, and more than 160,000 units fall under rent control. Advocates told the Guardian some landlords are using loopholes, including condo conversions and large rent increases, to turn over units.

What City Hall is doing

Mayor Daniel Lurie declared the rent spike an "emergency" in September, Mission Local reported. His plan includes legislation to raise relocation payments for tenants displaced by Ellis Act evictions by 25%. That law lets owners leave the rental business, and critics say it is sometimes used to convert apartments into condos. Supervisor Jackie Fielder has proposed that tenants could be evicted for unpaid rent only if they owe more than one month.

Renters facing a notice can contact the Rent Board or a tenant group such as the Housing Rights Committee before signing a buyout or moving out.