Kellogg & Van Aken specializes in representing tenants in San Francisco, Oakland and the greater Bay Area in a wide variety of matters. We are passionate about fighting for the rights of tenants in order to maintain affordable housing, combat tenant harassment, and ensure rental units are maintained in a habitable way.
We have extensive experience in defending tenants in unlawful detainer (eviction) lawsuits and filing lawsuits against landlords for failure to repair and maintain units (breach of warranty of habitability), tenant harassment, wrongful eviction, breach of the lease, and negligence.
We represent tenants in hearings before the San Francisco Rent Board for unlawful rent increases, decrease in housing services, and failure to repair and maintain.
We have a proven track record of obtaining excellent results for tenants, including achieving six-figure settlements for clients who were wrongfully evicted or living in horrible conditions; successfully defending against owner and relative move-in and Ellis Act evictions; invalidating landlords’ attempts to increase rent based on Costa Hawkins Rental Act or SF Rules and Regulations Section 1.21; successfully fighting for disabled tenants’ rights for reasonable accommodations; and stopping ongoing tenant harassment for long-term tenants in rent-controlled units.
Constructive and wrongful evictions
Failure to maintain or repair (breach of warranty of habitability)
Failure to maintain or repair (breach of warranty of habitability)
Tenant harassment
Owner and relative move-in evictions
Buy-out negotiations
Lock-outs
Ellis Act evictions
Rodent and Pest Infestations
Building floods, fires, and other disasters
Buildings with mold and defective waterproofing
Illegal in-law units
Air BnB issues
Violation of the San Francisco Rent Ordinance
Unlawful rent increase petitions
Retaliation
Requests for reasonable accommodations for tenants with disabilities
Defending rent increases pursuant to SF Rules and Regulations Section 1.21