In San Francisco, the sale of a building does not end a tenancy. The buyer inherits all existing lease obligations and tenant protections. Tenants covered by rent control continue to have the same rights after the sale that they had before. The new owner cannot simply end a tenancy because they purchased the property. If a buyer intends to occupy a unit, a separate legal process (owner move-in) must be followed, and not all tenants can be displaced through that process. I help both sellers and buyers understand exactly what tenancy transfers with the deed.
