http://www.baycitizen.org/columns/elizabeth-lesly-stevens/small-time-landlord-vs-big-time-tenants/
“San Francisco’s strong renter protections are a big reason why the city has the region’s highest vacancy rate.”
“In San Francisco, one of the toughest places in the country to find a place to live, more than 31,000 housing units — one of every 12 — now sit vacant.”
“‘Vacancy rates are going up because owners have decided to take their units off the market,’ said Ross Mirkarimi. . . . He attributes that response to ‘peaking frustrations in dealing with the range of laws that protect tenants in San Francisco that make it difficult for small property owners to thrive.’ Perversely, that is hurting the city’s renters as well, as a large percentage of the city’s housing stock is allowed to just sit vacant, driving up rents that newcomers pay for market-rate housing."
Duh!