A Disturbing Animation of 15 Years of Evictions in San Francisco

The Ellis Act is a state law in California that allows property owners to get out of the business of being landlords. Citing the law, they can evict tenants – including those who've never missed a rent check – to change the use of a building without selling it to a new owner. Frequently, the law is used to convert rental properties to condos. And, tenant advocacy groups claim, it's wielded to undermine rent-control restrictions in cities like San Francisco that are rapidly becoming unaffordable to precisely the people rent control is designed to protect.

In San Francisco, "Ellis evictions" have been on the rise, prompting protests particularly in neighborhoods like Nob Hill, the Castro and the Mission. The law has been on the books since 1985. But use of it has grown more common as a second tech boom in the Bay Area has pushed up the cost of living and the demand for luxury housing.