Longtime tenants in a Mission District apartment building say a coordinated rent strike has forced one of San Francisco’s biggest landlords to back off. Residents of 907 Valencia, many of them Spanish-speaking immigrants who have spent decades in rent-controlled units, refused to leave after a February 2025 fire, returned relocation checks, and then stopped paying rent. That pressure campaign, tenants say, pushed Mosser to negotiate and has organizers preparing to lock in a written deal.
What the tenants did
The rent strike at 907 Valencia involved 23 people in 14 units who voted to withhold rent until Mosser made binding guarantees on repairs and their right to return, according to The San Francisco Standard. Tenants say Mosser first cut checks for $4,031 per unit to cover relocation, a figure they rejected as far too low, then mailed them back. Organizers say the tenant union agreed in February to stop paying and that the formal strike began March 1.
How the dispute began
The conflict traces back to a February 2025 blaze that damaged a lightwell and hallway at the building, a fire documented in local coverage of the incident, including SFGATE. City inspection records and neighborhood reporting describe a long list of Department of Building Inspection complaints at the property for leaks, broken windows, and pest issues, and tenants told reporters that Mosser tried to serve capital-improvement eviction notices without the necessary permits, according to Mission Local. Residents say they watched renovations proceed in vacant units while problems persisted in occupied apartments, which prompted them to organize a union and prepare for a strike.
Relocation rules and the money
Under San Francisco law, landlords who temporarily displace tenants for substantial work are required to pay statutory relocation assistance that can exceed $24,000 per unit, depending on household composition. Mosser’s $4,031 relocation checks came in far below those amounts, tenants note, and the gap became a rallying point for refusing the money and formalizing a tenant union. The higher figures are laid out in the city’s published relocation payment schedule for no-fault displacements, according to the City and County of San Francisco.
Negotiations and what comes next
Tenants say Mosser sat down with their union on June 2 and, as organizers tell it, basically agreed to the union’s list of demands, including repairs and rent relief, according to The San Francisco Standard. A follow-up meeting was set for Wednesday to hammer out a written contract that tenants say must lock in building repairs and one year of rent relief. Organizers have been explicit that regular rent payments will not resume until a signed, enforceable agreement is on the table.
The standoff is playing out while Mosser is already under financial strain, with receivership orders and loan defaults on some properties reported in business coverage, according to the San Francisco Business Times. The company’s broader financial troubles have given tenants an extra bit of leverage to keep the pressure on.
Legal implications
Withholding rent can open the door to nonpayment eviction cases, but tenant-rights attorneys say San Francisco’s rules and available defenses can give striking tenants leverage if they carefully document building conditions and keep their withheld rent in reserve, according to Mission Local. Owners who seek temporary displacement for work must follow Section 37.9 procedures and pay the required relocation assistance, as spelled out by the San Francisco Rent Board. Organizers at 907 Valencia say the tenant union will stay active even after any deal is signed so they can monitor compliance and be ready if problems resurface.
