HLG Blog
‘Hacker Houses’ Short Term Rentals Disruptive to San Francisco Tenants
The concept of “Hacker Houses” or “Hacker Hostels” have become increasingly wide-spread in San Francisco. The owners or hosts of these Hacker Homes claim that their goal is to bring together communities of hackers to work and share ideas with one another under one...
Tenant Buyout Agreements Now Regulated With Protections for Tenants
The San Francisco Rent Ordinance has a new section, added on March 7, 2015. Section 37.9E covers the very common tenant buyout agreement, where landlords offer cash buyouts to tenants in exchange for tenants vacating rental units. The ordinance specifies that the main...
Hooshmand Law Group Among Sponsors of the Public Advocates 44th Anniversary Voices of Conscience Celebration
Hooshmand Law Group is proud to be among the sponsors of the Public Advocates 44th Anniversary, Voices of Conscience Celebration this evening at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. Public Advocates Inc. is a nonprofit law firm and advocacy organization that...
Notice of Tenants’ Rights
The California Civil Code, as well as the San Francisco Health Code and Housing Code define landlords’ obligations to make and keep rental homes in habitable condition. Inspectors of the Department of Public Health and Department of Building Inspection are responsible...
Court Certifies Hooshmand Law Group Class Action
On March 23, 2015, San Mateo Superior Court Judge Marie Weiner certified Plaintiffs' class action lawsuit against the Marymount Gateway and Summit Apartments in connection with the attempted condo conversion of the Marymount Gateway and Summit Apartments in Pacifica,...
Mark Hooshmand in the April 2015 Issue of ‘Plaintiff Magazine’ on the Risks of Being a Host in the Sharing-Economy
Plaintiff Magazine: The Risks of Being a Host in the Sharing-Economy The “sharing economy” is in full swing in the San Francisco Bay Area; indeed, in many countries around the world. Due to advances in technology, Web-based and mobile apps give individuals the ability...
Hooshmand Law Group Wins Important Anti-SLAPP Law Suit Appeal Concerning Landlord Retaliation against Tenant
Attorneys Mark Hooshmand and Tyson Redenbarger of the Hooshmand Law Group successfully argued in the Court of Appeal concerning the reversal of an order of the trial court. In 2012, our client came to the Hooshmand Law Group after being evicted from her apartment. The...
Is Your Unit Illegal?
If you live in an in-law unit, a garage or basement unit, or a unit otherwise attached to a single family home, you may be living in an illegal unit. To determine if your unit is illegal, look for these characteristics: — No separate electricity and gas bill: If you...
Hooshmand Law Group files Lawsuit to Protect Affordable Housing
Short-term residential rental platforms VRBO and HomeAway are in violation of San Francisco's residential hotel conversion ordinance and unfair competition law, alleges a lawsuit filed Monday by the Housing Rights Committee of San Francisco and two city tenants. Among...
HLG Has Recent Success Protecting Judgment From Landlord’s Bankruptcy
Hooshmand Law Group Successfully Preserves Judgment against Landlord Through Attempts to Discharge Claims through Bankruptcy Mark Hooshmand and Deanna Maxfield of the Hooshmand Law Group along with legal administrators Diana Luong and Charles McHale successfully...
Hooshmand Law Group wins Important Anti-Slapp Appeal for Tenant
Hooshmand Law Group wins important Anti-Slapp Law Suit Appeal Concerning Eviction of Protected Rent Control Tenant Attorneys Mark Hooshmand, Ian Hansen and Stephanie Foster of the Hooshmand Law Group successfully argued in the Court of Appeal concerning the reversal...
Illegal Short-Term Rental Conversions in San Francisco
Gamache et al. v. Airbnb Inc. (filed) Plaintiffs v. Vbro.com and homeaway.com (pending) Plaintiffs v. Flipkey.com (pending) Background and Information San Francisco lawyers filed the first ever lawsuit against Airbnb on behalf of tenants who have been damaged by the...
AirBnB Class Action Filed in San Francisco, California
On September 3, 2014, the Hooshmand Law Group filed a class action lawsuit against AirBnB, Inc. The lawsuit is based on the allegation that AirBnB illegally participates in and facilitates the rental of apartments in San Francisco in violation of local and state law....
Tenant-Landlord Contracts Are Key
All too often, contracts are written without careful review or tailoring to the business relationship that the contract is meant to embody. Also, thought is not given to language to address potential disputes that may arise and how they can be resolved in a cost...
Living in an Illegal Unit in San Francisco
Living in an Illegal Unit in San Francisco Unfortunately, illegal units exist all throughout the Bay Area. Typically they are units that have been constructed without permits to make more money. Be careful - they are very dangerous as they are not...
Tenants: Talk to an Attorney Before Vacating Your Apartment
In a time when rents are skyrocketing, landlords are trying to replace long term rent controlled tenants with new higher paying tenants. They try threats, intimidation and other tactics including small buy out offers. Before considering next steps talk...
Unscrupulous Landlord No Match for LRIS Panel Attorney Mark Hooshmand
In November 2010 the Lawyer Referral and Information Service (LRIS) was contacted by a client with a landlord-tenant issue. For three years the client was verbally harassed by the landlord and threatened with eviction without cause. Additionally the landlord failed at...
Before you file that Rent Board Complaint – Think Again!
The Rent Board is a great resource for answering questions related to your tenancy. The purview of the Rent Board is to provide information regarding your tenancy and to also adjudicate some landlord tenant disputes. The problem is that if you later file a...
Eviction Protections Rile Up Tenants and Landlords
"The public comment bell rang throughout Monday’s Land Use Committee meeting as tenant rights advocates and property owners stated their case for or against expanding just cause protection laws to housing units built after 1979. In his raspy voice, Supervisor John...
HLG mentioned in Trade Secrets Blog – September 2008
Verdict in the matter of Radiant Skincare vs. Linda Moore, mentioned at the Trade Secrets Blog Superior Court, San Mateo County, California: Radiant Skincare Clinic v. Linda Moore and Rejuvenate Inc. Radiant Skincare sought damages for lost profits and unjust...