San Francisco Woman Facing $6,700 Rent Increase Posted Apartment On Airbnb
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) – A woman in San Francisco's Bernal Heights who went public after her landlord raised her rent by $6,700 a month is under fire for offering her rent-controlled apartment unit on Airbnb.
Deb Follingstad received a letter from her landlord saying her rent would go up from $2,200 a month to $8,900 a month as of May 5th.
In an interview with KPIX 5 on Monday, Follingstad said the rent increase was unexpected and that she was "repulsed by the whole thing."
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The landlord said the rent increase is legal because a second unit was converted into storage, turning the property into a single-family dwelling that is not affected by rent control laws.
After her story circulated on social media, many online pointed out that Follingstad rented out her residence on the short term lodging website. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, she reportedly charged $90 a night, along with a $300 security deposit and a cleaning deposit.
Follingstad told the Chronicle that her landlord was unaware of posting the room on Airbnb and that she used the site "to make ends meet" when her business is slow.
The landlord, Nadia Lama, posted on Facebook a response to the controversy. "I know my friends know the truth and I pray greedy is a word that never has and NEVER will apply to me."