
Quoting
San Francisco Rent Control Ordinance, Section 37.2 Definitions
(p) Rent. The consideration, including any bonus, benefits or gratuity, demanded or received by a landlord for or in connection with the use or occupancy of a rental unit, or the assignment of a lease for such a unit, including but not limited to monies demanded or paid for parking, furnishings, food service, housing services of any kind, or subletting.
(q) Rent Increases. Any additional monies demanded or paid for rent as defined in item (p) above, or any reduction in housing services without a corresponding reduction in the monies demanded or paid for rent; provided, however, that: (1) where the landlord has been paying the tenant's utilities and the cost of those utilities increases, the landlord's passing through to the tenant of such increased costs pursuant to this Chapter does not constitute a rent increase; (2) where there has been a change in the landlord's property tax attributable to a general obligation bond approved by the voters between November 1, 1996 and November 30, 1998, or after November 14, 2002, the landlord's passing through to the tenant of such increased costs in accordance with this Chapter (see Section 37.3(a)(6)) does not constitute a rent increase; (3) where there has been a change in the landlord's property tax attributable to a San Francisco Unified School District or San Francisco Community College District general obligation bond approved by the voters after November 1, 2006, the landlord's passing through to the tenant of such increased costs in accordance with this Chapter (see Section 37.3(a)(6)) does not constitute a rent increase; and (4) where water bill charges are attributable to water rate increases resulting from issuance of water revenue bonds authorized at the November 5, 2002 election, the landlord's passing through to the tenant of such increased costs in accordance with this Chapter (see Section 37.3(a)(5)(B)) does not constitute a rent increase.