Hair salons, tattoo parlors, gyms and other businesses that fell vulnerable during the COVID-19 shutdown owe about $45 million in unpaid rent per month in San Francisco, according to a report from the city’s Budget and Legislative Analyst's Office.
The law, introduced by City Supervisor Dean Preston and approved by the Board of Supervisors in July, eliminates certain rent debt. But according to a suit filed in California Superior Court, landlord groups, including the San Francisco Apartment Association, and the Small Property Owners of San Francisco Institute, say the "staggering" amount of back rent would wipe them out.
Preston says the back rent legislation is an attempt to give small businesses a chance to recover from COVID-related losses. He claims opponents want to pull the rug from under those businesses.
