Meet Rent Raisers: The People Who Actually Understand Bay Area Rent Control Rules
- Serina Calhoun
- Dec 3
- 3 min read
For many San Francisco property owners and managers, navigating rent control isn’t just complicated; it’s like being handed a choose-your-own-adventure book where every choice comes with paperwork. Capital improvement petitions, allowable increases, multi-page forms, rules-within-rules…it’s a lot. And as we discussed in our recent blog post, Oakland has its OWN set of classifications and requirements - talk about head spinning.
And yet, a small number of people genuinely thrive in this environment. Rent Raisers is one of them.
Where It All Started
Rent Raisers was founded by longtime property manager Michelle Horneff-Cohen, who recognized early on that owners needed more than casual guidance to get rent board petitions approved. When she launched the company 25 years ago, there was only 1 other team offering rent increase services, which tells you everything you need to know about how complex this niche really is.
Michelle was on the forefront of major shifts in pass-through legislation and got her trial by fire early on, when a wave of new restrictions (Prop W) hit in 2000 just as she was launching the business. It was a fast learning curve, but her track record speaks for itself: since founding Rent Raisers, her team has never lost a capital improvement petition.
That’s not luck. That’s deep expertise meeting sheer persistence.
What Rent Raisers Actually Does
Rent Raisers helps owners and managers navigate a variety of pass-throughs with a steady hand, taking care of the full process so it gets done right. For capital improvement pass-throughs, they review every invoice and contract, sort true capital improvements from the “nice try, but no” items, assemble all the supporting documentation, file the petition with the rent board, and manage the case all the way through approval.
Their fee structure is set up as a straightforward fixed-price menu, so owners can get exactly what they need without surprises. Michelle will tell you that tidy paperwork will make everyone just a little more sane, but is willing to dig in to make sure everything is correct.
Expertise With Actual Depth
If there’s a nuance, loophole, exception, or footnote in Bay Area rent laws, Michelle knows it. She understands exactly when something counts as an individual upgrade versus a structural improvement - she gives the example where replacing one window is an individual item, but replacing every window on a building wall turns the project into a building-wide cost share.
Her genuine love of rules isn’t just a personality trait; it’s a strategic advantage for her clients.
Beyond the Bay Area
With AB 1482 expanding rent control statewide, Rent Raisers is expanding their services across California. They’re also developing a statewide database (expected late 2026) that will summarize local rent control rules and petition options - an absolute gift for owners with properties in multiple jurisdictions.
Why Property Atlas Recommends Them
Rent Raisers succeeds for one simple reason: they respect the rules enough to master them. Michelle compares rent board procedures to IRS forms (“tedious, but clear once you understand them”) and that mindset is exactly why owners keep coming back year after year.
Whether it’s a major capital improvement petition or annual increases, they bring clarity, accuracy, and a level of confidence that only comes from decades of specialized focus.
We’re thrilled to welcome them to Property Atlas.
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