How long does an eviction take in San Francisco?
For unpaid rent, expect about 8.5 weeks from notice to lockout under California's deadlines, or 4.5 to 17.5 weeks if it's contested. Cases go to San Francisco Superior Court (unlawful detainer).
Not legal advice. Estimates from public sources, checked Oct 17, 2026. Laws vary by county and city; talk to a local attorney before you act.
What would a rental in San Francisco actually earn?
We'll prefill San Francisco's numbers and include the eviction cost from this page.
- Median rent $2,448/mo
- Property tax 0.76% (unverified)
- Insurance $1,194–$1,697/yr (unverified)
- Vacancy 5.5%–6.7%
The San Francisco eviction timeline
These deadlines come from California law, as on the California page; we found no separate city notice period for nonpayment. City rules and court backlogs are below.
- 1
Notice to pay or leave
5 days3 days to pay or quit, excluding weekends and court holidays (Cal. Civ. Proc. Code § 1161(2))
- 2
File and get a judgment
21–75 days · typical 4010 court days after personal service to respond
- 3
Judgment to lockout
6–21 daysSheriff serves a 5-day notice to vacate after the writ of possession, then locks out
- 4
If the tenant appeals
30-day window30 days after notice of entry of judgment (max 90 days) to appeal a limited civil eviction (Cal. Rules of Court 8.822); an appeal does not automatically stop the eviction (CCP § 1176)
Real-world court wait: we found no official or reputable statistic for this court, so the timeline is a rule-based estimate. unverified
Can the tenant pay and stay? Can pay in full during the notice period. official source Source ↗
What an eviction costs in San Francisco
Local court and marshal fees, plus national lawyer estimates. The calculator above adds them to your lost rent.
Court filing fee
Statewide$240–$385$240 for claims up to $10,000; $385 for $10,000-$25,000 (statewide civil fee schedule)
Serving the tenant
Unverified · national default$30–$77No official amount verified for San Francisco yet, so the calculator uses the national default range.
Sheriff or marshal lockout
statewide sheriff fee (Gov. Code 26733.5)$180Sheriff writ of possession for real property: $105 to serve/post plus $75 to remove occupants, set by state statute (Gov. Code 26733.5, as amended by SB 564, effective 2024). The SF Sheriff's older page lists $145 and the current schedule did not load for us
Lawyer, uncontested case
National estimate$500–$1,500Flat fees commonly charged when the tenant doesn't fight it. Not specific to this city; big-city rates run higher.
Lawyer, contested case
National estimate$2,000–$5,000+When the tenant contests the case. Not specific to this city.
Median gross rent
Census ACS 2024, 1-year$2,448/moSan Francisco median gross rent, ±$59; San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont metro: $2,435 (±$26). The calculator starts here; change it to your rent.
City and state rules that change the answer
Each rule is tagged with whether it comes from city or state law.
Just-cause eviction rules: Yes city law
Rent Ordinance Sec. 37.9: the landlord needs one of the listed just causes, and it must be the dominant motive. Nonpayment is a just cause
Rent control or stabilization: Yes city law
Rent Ordinance: covered units can be raised 1.6% for Mar 1, 2026-Feb 28, 2027, once every 12 months. Newer construction and some single-family homes/condos are exempt from the increase limit
Right to counsel for tenants: Yes city law
Prop F (No Eviction Without Representation Act, 2018): full-scope legal representation for tenants facing eviction, available 30 days after an eviction notice or on service of the complaint
Seasonal or weather limits: No state law
None statewide found in the sources we checked
Required mediation or pre-filing program: No state law
None statewide found in the sources we checked
Relocation payments (no-fault evictions): Yes city law
No-fault evictions (Sec. 37.9C): $8,245 per tenant, max $24,733 per unit, plus $5,497 for each senior, disabled tenant or household with children (notices served Mar 1, 2026-Feb 28, 2027). This doesn't apply to nonpayment evictions
Local rules landlords often miss
Copies of notices to vacate must be filed with the Rent Board within 10 days of service, except 3-day notices to pay rent or quit (Sec. 37.9)
Copies of notices to vacate must be filed with the Rent Board within 10 days of service, except 3-day notices to pay rent or quit (Sec. 37.9).
San Francisco scores 44 out of 100
Same formula as the state score, with city and state protections counted together. The statewide California score is 49.
San Francisco eviction FAQ
How long does an eviction take in San Francisco?
For unpaid rent, about 8.5 weeks from notice to lockout, with a range of roughly 4.5 to 17.5 weeks, based on California's notice and court deadlines. We found no official statistic on actual court wait times here, so this is a rule-based estimate.
How much does it cost to file an eviction in San Francisco?
The court filing fee is $240-$385. The sheriff or marshal lockout fee is $180 (statewide sheriff fee (Gov. Code 26733.5)). We found no official fee for serving the tenant (private servers set their own prices). Lawyer fees are extra (national rough estimate $500-$1,500 uncontested).
How much does it cost to evict a tenant in San Francisco?
A typical uncontested nonpayment eviction in San Francisco costs a landlord roughly $5,800 to $6,900: about 8.5 weeks of lost rent at the median rent of $2,448/month (about $4,800), court and service fees of about $450-$642 (some are national defaults because we could not verify them), and lawyer fees of about $500-$1,500 (a national estimate). A contested case running about 17.5 weeks can pass $12,500. These are LandlordCost estimates (Census ACS 2024 rent); they leave out rent owed before the notice, turnover and re-rent time.
What tenant protections apply in San Francisco?
City and state rules include just-cause eviction rules; rent control / stabilization; right to counsel for tenants; relocation payments (no-fault evictions).
Can a tenant in San Francisco stop the eviction by paying?
Can pay in full during the notice period.
What local rule do landlords in San Francisco often miss?
Copies of notices to vacate must be filed with the Rent Board within 10 days of service, except 3-day notices to pay rent or quit (Sec. 37.9).
Sources and last-checked dates
Not yet verified for San Francisco: service fee, court wait. Fields we couldn't source are labeled unverified, never guessed. Download the data: cities.json · cities.csv.
- Notice periodofficial sourceleginfo.legislature.ca.gov ↗
- Notice period (backup)secondary sourcenolo.com ↗
- Court deadlinesofficial sourceselfhelp.courts.ca.gov ↗
- Judgment to lockoutofficial sourceselfhelp.courts.ca.gov ↗
- Appealofficial sourcecourts.ca.gov ↗
- Filing feeofficial sourcecourts.ca.gov ↗
- Service feeunverifiednone found
- Lockout feeofficial sourceleginfo.legislature.ca.gov ↗
- Lockout fee (backup)secondary sourcesfsheriff.com ↗
- Right to cureofficial sourceleginfo.legislature.ca.gov ↗
- Just causeofficial sourcesf.gov ↗
- Rent controlofficial sourcesf.gov ↗
- Right to counselofficial sourcesfmohcd.org ↗
- Relocationofficial sourcesf.gov ↗
- Median rentofficial sourcewww2.census.gov ↗
- Local ruleofficial sourcesf.gov ↗
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