Rent Increases Without the Backlash: Meet the team at Rent Board Passthroughs

Thinking About a Rent Increase? Don’t Go It Alone.

Raising rents in San Francisco isn’t easy, even when your expenses are climbing faster than your rental income. Between property taxes, skyrocketing insurance premiums, and city mandates like soft story retrofits and facade inspections, the math just doesn’t pencil for many property owners. But navigating rent increases under SF’s complex tenant protections can feel like walking a political tightrope.

That’s where Rent Board Passthroughs comes in.

Led by Kim Boyd Bermingham, Rent Board Passthroughs helps owners understand what increases they can take and which ones they might be wise to skip. From capital improvements to utility hikes, Prop I claims, to one-off petitions, Kim knows how to work within the system to help you stay compliant, protect your reputation, and recoup real costs.

Why Kim Boyd Bermingham? A Rare Mix of Savvy, Empathy, and Value

Kim isn’t just a paperwork pro. She’s a strategic partner who understands that timing, tone, and fairness matter just as much as the numbers. With more than 25 years in the field, she brings the kind of judgment that only comes from deep experience. Her perspective is informed by her background in anthropology and her family’s work in social services and the arts: “I understand firsthand how much a $50/month rent increase can impact some tenants,” she says.

That thoughtfulness is part of what’s earned her respect not just from clients, but from the Rent Board itself. “They respect me for my fairness,” Kim told us. She has a reputation built from handling each case with honesty, balance, and an eye toward long-term relationships.

Her business model reflects that same care. For most cases, she doesn’t charge hourly and doesn’t take a dime until she’s sure a passthrough is even feasible. Her assessments are free, and her services are mostly fixed-fee, which is a huge plus given that most passthrough processes take about a year.

What She Can Help With

Whether you’re trying to cover the cost of a soft story upgrade or haven’t raised rents in years, the team at Rent Board Passthroughs knows the legal levers you can pull, including:

• Investments you’ve made:

  • Capital Improvements (e.g., new windows, roofs, exterior painting)

• Ongoing costs:

  • Operating & Maintenance Expenses (insurance, taxes, pest control, etc.)

  • Utilities (when the landlord pays for electric/gas/steam heat)

• Unit-specific resets:

  • Annual and Banked rent increases

  • General Bond and Water Bond Passthroughs

  • Special Circumstances (if the rent is unusually low due to past agreements or unique factors)

  • Past Rent History / Prop I

A Trusted Guide for the Long Haul

Whether you’re a first-time owner or a seasoned landlord managing multiple buildings, Kim is the kind of expert you want in your corner: someone who knows the law, knows the players, and knows how to keep your relationships (and your reputation) intact. “I most enjoy working with mom and pop landlords,” she shared. “They’ve invested so much in these properties. I want to make sure they’re getting everything they’re entitled to, and also protecting themselves by doing increases the right way.”

If you haven’t done a rent increase in a while, or if you’ve been absorbing the cost of city-mandated upgrades, reach out to Rent Board Passthroughs for a free assessment.