SERVICE

Register your vacant storefront

Vacant storefronts must be registered within 30 days of vacancy and re-registered every year.

What to know

Cost

$1,230.95 per year.

Mail cashier’s checks or money orders. We can accept credit cards or cash in person.

Up to 50% of the fee can be refunded if your storefront becomes occupied that year.

If an ongoing public infrastructure construction project impacts your storefront’s access to the public right of way or utilities, you can apply to be exempted from paying the annual fee by completing this request form and sending documentation of the construction.

Penalties

According to Ordinance 52-19, all vacant buildings in San Francisco must be registered annually.

If there are vacancy complaints and your storefront is not registered, the penalty is $4,923.80.

Even if the building is registered for vacancy, we can still cite you for blight if you do not adequately maintain the property.

What to do

1. Have a licensed building professional prepare a compliance report

The professional could be a contractor, an engineer, architect, or licensed building consultant.

The report should document how you are meeting your obligations as an owner of a vacant storefront.

2. Print and fill out the PDF application

We will ask you:

  • Property owner information
  • How you have secured the property against unauthorized entry
  • Your future plans for the property
  • Name of your fire and liability insurance provider
  • Lender information if the property has a notice of default or foreclosure

3. Give us your application, documents, and payment

Include:

  • Licensed building professional’s compliance report
  • Vacant building PDF application
  • Copy of your fire and liability insurance policy documents
  • Payment — if using cashier’s check or money order, make it payable to “SF Department of Building Inspection” or “CCSF_DBI”

You can mail the packet or deliver it in-person to our office.

Code Enforcement Section49 South Van Ness
Suite 400
San Francisco, CA 94103

Supporting information

Special cases

Pending lease or sale

You do not need to register if there is a lease or sale pending on the property. You will need to send proof documenting the lease or pending sale, like an MLS number or a copy of the lease.

After you register

We will contact you to schedule an inspection to ensure the vacant building requirements are being met.

Get help

Phone

Code Enforcement Section628-652-3430

Email

Code Enforcement Section

dbi.codeenforcement@sfgov.org