Do this today
- Photograph the condition. Write the date.
- Dial 311 or file with San Francisco Rent Board.
- If there is no heat, no water, or a gas smell: 911 or the utility first.
What does “livable” mean in San Francisco?
Heat, water, sanitation, and structural safety are the usual floor. The exact list is in California Civil Code — hiring of real property and often in the city housing code San Francisco Rent Board enforces. This desk does not reprint temperature charts or hour-counts.
What if nothing happens after I report it?
Keep the request numbers from 311 or San Francisco Rent Board. Take that file to legal aid. Do not skip rent on a rumor. If the condition is dangerous tonight — no heat in winter, a gas leak, a collapsed ceiling — treat it as an emergency.
The San Francisco layer
The San Francisco Rent Board is the local forum for covered units. Ask them whether your unit is under the Rent Ordinance.
California Civil Code — hiring of real property (Cal. Civ. Code §§ 1940 to 1954.06) is the California floor. We name it. We do not paraphrase a day-count or a dollar cap out of it.
San Francisco questions
What if there is no heat or no water in San Francisco?
Treat it as urgent. Dial 311 or file with San Francisco Rent Board. If it is dangerous tonight, 911 or the utility. Then write it down and call legal aid before you skip rent.
What number should I call in San Francisco?
Danger: 911. Mental-health crisis: 988. City services: 311. Court papers: LawHelp.org the same day. San Francisco Rent Board does not replace legal aid when a case is filed.
National answers on this desk
Last reviewed 8 September 2026. Legal information, not legal advice. Not a law firm. hello@renterprotection.org