This is a repeat of a recent FR post. I said there and still say, pay up or move out. This is a rental property and the owner should be allowed to charge whatever they want. It is their property. Period.
I agree, this is between two parties, no one else should be involved. THAT SAID, come on, this is just an evasion of SF's no fault eviction and tenant relocation payout system, and the landlord's gambling that the tenant will willingly move out, then further gambling that he'll get the one judge in SF who says 'well, he got notice about the rate increase, if he objected, the time to do it was then.'
Honestly, I think it was a foolish choice. Calculate in the tenant payout in your plans and just call it a day, a far better plan than this.
Because what is the worst case? Worst case is that the rent board comes back and says 'Nope. Can't raise it. Rent stays at $1,800 a month for the next 3 years before you can attempt to raise it again, and you have to submit that plan to us in writing no less than 90 days in advance,' blah blah blah.
Agreed. Any other position is anti-freedom.