How long does an eviction take in San Francisco?
For unpaid rent in San Francisco, expect about 8.5 weeks from notice to lockout under California's deadlines, or 4.5 to 17.5 weeks if the case is contested. Local rules add costs and steps, listed below. Court: San Francisco Superior Court (unlawful detainer). Estimate your cost ↓
San Francisco eviction timeline
These deadlines come from California law, as on the California page. We found no separate city notice period for nonpayment.
- Notice to pay or leave 5 daysofficial source
3 days to pay or quit, excluding weekends and court holidays (Cal. Civ. Proc. Code § 1161(2)) source · second source - File the case and get a judgment about 21-75 daysofficial source
10 court days after personal service to respond source - Judgment to lockout 6-21 daysofficial source
Sheriff serves a 5-day notice to vacate after the writ of possession, then locks out source - If the tenant appeals 30-day windowofficial source
30 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) source
Local rules that change the answer
- 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). official source source
Can the tenant pay and stay?
Can pay in full during the notice period. official source source
Eviction costs in San Francisco
| Cost | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Court filing fee | $240-$385 | Statewide: $240 for claims up to $10,000; $385 for $10,000-$25,000 (statewide civil fee schedule) official source source |
| Serving the tenant | $30-$77* | No official fee amount verified; *the calculator uses the national default range. unverified |
| Sheriff/marshal lockout | $180 | statewide sheriff fee (Gov. Code 26733.5): Sheriff 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 official source source · second source |
| Lawyer, uncontested | $500-$1,500 | National rough estimate; big-city rates often run higher estimate |
| Median gross rent | $2,448/mo | Census ACS 2024 1-year (B25064): city $2,448 (±$59); San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont metro $2,435 (±$26) data |
Tenant protections in San Francisco
| 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 official source source |
| Rent control / 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 official source source |
| 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 official source source |
| Seasonal / weather limits | No (state law) | None statewide found in the sources we checked unverified |
| Required mediation / pre-filing program | No (state law) | None statewide found in the sources we checked unverified |
| 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 official source source |
Eviction cost calculator for San Francisco
| What | Typical | Low to high |
|---|
Full timeline and sources · Total = rent × (months behind + months to evict + months to re-rent) + court fees + lawyer + turnover. How we calculate.
City score: 44/100
Timeline 22.9/50 · right to cure 14/20 · protections 7/30 (city and state rules together). The statewide California score is 49. How the score works.
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).
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
| Field | Source type | Link | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notice period (state law) | official source | leginfo.legislature.ca.gov · second source | 2026-10-17 |
| Court deadlines (state law) | official source | www.selfhelp.courts.ca.gov | 2026-10-17 |
| Judgment to lockout (state law) | official source | www.selfhelp.courts.ca.gov | 2026-10-17 |
| Appeal (state law) | official source | courts.ca.gov | 2026-10-17 |
| Filing fee | official source | courts.ca.gov | 2026-10-17 |
| Service fee | unverified | none found | 2026-10-17 |
| Lockout fee | official source | leginfo.legislature.ca.gov · second source | 2026-10-17 |
| Right to cure | official source | leginfo.legislature.ca.gov | 2026-10-17 |
| Court wait | unverified | none found | 2026-10-17 |
| Just-cause eviction rules | official source | www.sf.gov | 2026-10-17 |
| Rent control / stabilization | official source | www.sf.gov | 2026-10-17 |
| Right to counsel for tenants | official source | sfmohcd.org | 2026-10-17 |
| Relocation payments (no-fault evictions) | official source | www.sf.gov | 2026-10-17 |
| Local rule | official source | www.sf.gov | 2026-10-17 |
| Median rent | official source | census.gov (ACS B25064) | 2026-10-17 |
Not yet verified for San Francisco: service fee, court wait. Fields we couldn't source are left blank, never guessed.
Other big cities
New York City (11.5 wk) · Los Angeles (8.5 wk) · Chicago (6 wk) · Washington, DC (16.5 wk)