三藩市「火箭升租事件」的真相

2015年03月21日 美国华人





作者:住房政策改良会 招霞


最近爆炸性的住房新闻,来自位于地产新宠的Bernal Heights的355 Bocana街的租客,她于2014年3月2日收到业主升租的通知,住了11年的独立屋,租金将由$2145,升到天价的$8900,升幅高达315%,订金更狂涨到不可想象的$12,500!

https://bernalwood.wordpress.com/2015/03/16/bernal-resident-devastated-by-315-rent-increase/

背景知识

据Zillow的数据,这所物业1900尺,市值$1.55个mil,市价月租$5315。气候宜人、交通便利Bernal Heights,是地产界的新宠,因为该区离101和280高速公路都非常近,通勤去南湾的高科技人士都对这区趋之若鹜,而这里也是短期出租AirBnB的背包客喜欢出没的地方,一晚私租两房的套间,价钱高达$100元晚。所以这个区市价和租金猛升。这个物业里,11年来,业主没有大幅度升租;租客也付着市价4成的低租,据常理,应该感觉幸运,并好好对待业主的体恤。



震惊的反应

但偏偏在这貌似温馨的地方,却惊爆了升租无理的事情。作为良心业主,我感到震惊,同时第一反应是内有古怪!难道这位业主真的心存歹毒,要玷污整个业主阶层吗?!况且,业主选择的代表律师,虽然是自由市场的捍卫者,过往做事却一贯前卫,常人难以明白。就因为她以前的一个milestone的案例,我一直呼吁大家,即使向独立屋升租,也要合情合理,宁可赔些搬迁费,也必须照顾到租客的难处。但现在这个「无理升租」的个案,全城沸沸扬扬,肯定会被租客团体和他们的政客用作把柄,又要做条恶法出来给广大善良业主叹叹。

真相的一面

租客业主相安无事了11年,突然接到火箭炮般的升租,内里的曲折是什么?租客在某网站的自白,揭示了问题:

“I am being kicked out of my home of 11 years. Come celebrate my final months hosting wonderful travelers from all around the world, sharing interesting places to see, eat and enjoy in this beautiful city I have called home for 26 years. I have truly enjoyed my hosting experience and made many friends. My greedy new landlord wants market value for my home, and is forcing me to leave with some very shocking and unsavory tactics. But, I guess that’s life in the San Francisco BOOM town. Sadly, this not only means I loose my home but also loose my city, because I can no longer afford to rent here as an acupuncturist.
My rent controlled apartment has allowed me to have a guest bedroom for my friends and family to stay with me, have a wonderful acupuncture clinic and spa, host travelers who wanted a real San Francisco experience, and also have a place for my patient’s families to stay when their loved ones were in crisis. It has been a wonderful journey. Help make the end of this era a special and memorable one!”

租客坦承,她住了11年,在物业里开针灸spa(触犯非法经营和非法使用物业法)、邀请背包客来体验并招待住宿(触犯违反短期出租法)。有记者在AirBnB里查到她的单位的私租资料,竟然是$90一晚,月入$2700,比起她要交的租金还多了$854元!这还不算她做spa和针灸所得到的利润。她利用业主的物业无本生利,怪不得业主如此生气!但更奇怪的是,她的自白中对自己的三项违法行为没有丝毫悔意,更甚觉得业主的举动无情无理。

以下是该租客的私租listing:



真相的另一面

对于此案,我们团体的业主们认为不能就此蒙冤,落得個贪得无厌的臭名,所以发函去询问动机和原因。很快,我们收到业主的代表律师Dennis Leadbetter的回信。该信她也发给所有租客方的政客了,包括Jane Kim金贞贤、州参议员Mark Leno里诺、Eric Mar马兆光、Campos、Avalos等等。可以看出,这是业主愤怒无比的动作,业主被剥削压迫的形象跃然而出:

“To All Interested Parties:

The rent increase that has generated this controversy is actually an offer by the owner to rent a substantially larger home than was originally rented. In addition to the upper level (in which tenant currently resides), Ms. Follingstad will have access to at least 60% more space which can be used by the tenant to offset the rent increase through her existing Air BnB business. As interested parties are now aware, there are many sides to a story. Rent Control Ordinances create unreasonable expectations upon which tenants rely. In this case, rent control simply does not apply to this tenancy.


When a small property owner finally has an opportunity to increase the rent – via State law – the City gives almost no choice to the owner but to take the opportunity to increase the rent. If owners were allowed modest increases over time, we would not see this kind of dramatic rent increase required.


San Francisco’s promotion of Airbnb-type hotel use further reduces available housing to middle income residents. A comprehensive housing policy is required for San Francisco County residents – landlords and tenants. Commercial profit making use of a tenants rent regulated rental unit should be disallowed.


San Francisco County unfairly burdens small property owners with a societal problem that should be shared by all residents – not just those whose owners’ whose properties were built prior to June 13, 1979. Small property owners are not being subsidized by the government for what is truly a problem for all of society. An economically sound housing policy – fair to all – is required to avoid further displacement of our middle income residents.

Denise Leadbetter “

业主极度不满租客用她的物业多年地牟取暴利,所以干脆把整坐房子出租给租客,当商业铺一样给租客使用,然后征收租客营运酒店般的租金!业主采取的是被赶入穷巷的反扑方式和最大限度的抗议,是一个独干者最后的一击。压力锅爆煲的惨烈,原来是这个样子的。

诉求的解决

其实,一个人的力量非常有限。业主这样的抗议,没错是引起了她所希望的巨大的反响,但却为所有业主阶层带来了严重的负面牽連。不顧一切地保護長期租客低廉地留在三藩市的极左政客,将无疑酝酿新一轮恶法,去监管非法单位的移除和独立屋的升租幅度。

由于这个业主从来没有過向市参事、传媒和业主团体投诉的記录,她的case没有被documented — 她的理由,无论多么理直气壮,由于推导和演绎缺失,得到的是跳跃式的结论,就会把列作谬论而无法被社会接受。同时,根据多年经验,业主的不幸故事,英文传媒从来不感冒,记者从来不肯来采访,但租客的故事,无论立据如何单薄,总是得到单方面的广泛报道。报道的过程和后续里,业主也不被采访。这样的偏帮报道,淹蓋真相,不但不能把問題解決,還越搞越大,业主无法存活,也更早把租客推离三藩市。租客找不到可以负担的新居所,被迫迁居向外市。

在孤军作战的氛围下,业主要寻求解决,使用的方法是更需要savviness,更高EQ、更忍耐,更向外求助,不能用一下子爆发而拖累整个业主阶层。这位业主和律师,其实可以联合三藩市小业主协会 (smallprop.org) 和其他同情的团体把事情研究清楚,再用讲道理的方式先礼后兵,步步为营,避免一落笔就打三更,才能在舆论和公众的眼光里达到以理服人,甚至实现推动合理法律的理想–在法律上实现对业主和租客双方都进行保障。

雪上加霜

一边厢,住房问题炙热无解,另一边厢,幸灾乐祸的围观者已忙于吸晶牟利。某个做投资移民的微信号把升租3.15倍夸张成8倍,把房东单方面地标榜成贪婪,而不去了解物业被租客非法短期出租,用作铺面和酒店,牟利多年。这个合法的升租,雖然極端,可以理解为房东被剥削下作出的最后呐喊。作为一个无助的房东,法律、传媒全不在她那边,她只能做的是升租抗议。这間所谓的投资公司,专门投机房地产炒作而令真正的住客无法买到合理價格的居所,做贼喊贼,落井下石,真令人作呕。

作者: 招霞,三藩市小業主協會(smallprop.org)華人部董事,住房政策改良會創辦人之一(BetterHousingPolicies.org)。2011年投身社區工作,義務為置了業的華人能在掠奪性的住房政策中生存奔走,也為租客住得好、買上屋努力。她相信,只有人人有樓,安居樂業,才能弘揚華人落地生根、尊老愛幼、樂也融融的生活方式。版權為作者所有。歡迎轉載,必須刊登本段。




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