San Francisco Apartment Association - SFAA
SFAA is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit trade association founded in 1917 that provides advocacy, education, forms, tenant screening, and a preferred-vendor directory to San Francisco rental property owners, management companies, and rental-housing service providers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1917
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
San Francisco Apartment Association - SFAA firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- San Francisco Apartment Association - SFAA
- Legal name
- San Francisco Apartment Association
- Website
- https://sfaa.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1917
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- SFAA is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit trade association founded in 1917 that provides advocacy, education, forms, tenant screening, and a preferred-vendor directory to San Francisco rental property owners, management companies, and rental-housing service providers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
San Francisco Apartment Association - SFAA industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Rental Housing Trade Association
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Single-Family Rental (SFR) Property Management (BPAJAFAB)
Keywords
Where San Francisco Apartment Association - SFAA is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
San Francisco Apartment Association - SFAA business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Standard Membership Dues: Annual membership fees for individual rental property owners of single family homes, flats, condos, or apartment buildings. Pricing varies by unit count: 1-22 units at $524 base plus $11/unit; 23+ units at $479 base plus $13/unit. Membership includes free subscription to SF Apartment Magazine, free digital forms, access to preferred vendor directory, and eligibility for CAA membership.
- Management Company Membership Dues: Annual membership fees for professionally managed properties. Pricing tiers: 1-22 units at $635 base plus $6.50/unit; 23+ units at $590 base plus $8.50/unit. Includes all standard member benefits plus free digital rental forms and priority vendor directory placement.
- Preferred Vendor Membership Dues: Annual membership at $600 for companies providing products and services to the rental housing industry. Includes listing in SFAA Professional Services Directory, discounted magazine advertising, and sponsorship opportunities.
- Educational Courses and Certifications: CCRM full series at $750 for members and $900 for non-members; individual classes at $85 members and $100 non-members. Landlord 101 classes at $65 for members and $135 for non-members. Additional income from education events and webinars.
- Online Lease Access and Form Sales: DocuSign lease access at $30 for members, $50 for associate members, $300 for non-members. Hard copy lease agreement at $35 for members (regularly $250). Various California Apartment Association forms available for purchase. All sales final with no refunds.
- SF Apartment Magazine Advertising: Monthly publication reaching 6,000+ apartment owners and property managers. Preferred vendors receive discounted advertising rates. Magazine features articles by tenant attorneys, industry professionals, and rental property owners.
- Legal Fund Donations: Tax-deductible contributions to the SFAA Legal Fund, which litigates against laws infringing on property owner rights. The fund has been used to successfully challenge the residential vacancy tax.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Standard Membership for individual landlords with 1-22 units: $524 base + $11 per unit annually |
| Subscription | Annual | Standard Membership for landlords with 23+ units: $479 base + $13 per unit annually |
| Subscription | Annual | Management Company Membership for 1-22 units: $635 base + $6.50 per unit annually |
| Subscription | Annual | Management Company Membership for 23+ units: $590 base + $8.50 per unit annually |
| Subscription | Annual | Preferred Vendor Membership: $600 annually |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | CCRM Full Series: $750 members / $900 non-members |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Landlord 101 Part I and II: $65 members / $135 non-members each |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Online Lease Access: $30 members / $50 associate members / $300 non-members |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
San Francisco Apartment Association - SFAA product offering
Product offeringCore offering
SFAA is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit trade association that serves San Francisco rental housing providers through tiered annual memberships (Standard, Management Company, Preferred Vendor). Members gain access to the SFAA Residential Tenancy Agreement delivered via DocuSign, attorney-approved forms and signs, tenant screening through Intellirent/TransUnion, the CCRM certification and Landlord 101 education programs, the SF Apartment Magazine, and the SFAA Legal Fund for regulatory advocacy.
Product overview
SFAA is a nonprofit trade organization (501(c)6) offering a unified suite of membership-based services for San Francisco rental housing providers. The core offerings include the SFAA Residential Tenancy Agreement accessible via DocuSign for electronic lease signing, tenant screening services powered by Intellirent (partnered with TransUnion), and downloadable forms and signs. These are complemented by educational programs including the California Certified Residential Manager (CCRM) certification series and Landlord 101 classes. SFAA also publishes SF Apartment Magazine monthly and organizes member meetings, the Annual Landlord Expo, and Annual Trophy Awards. Membership tiers serve Standard property owners, Management Companies, and Preferred Vendors, all providing access to the Preferred Vendor Directory, advocacy through the Legal Fund, and connections to the SF Housing Foundation.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- Saved property owners an estimated $60 million in 2025 through successful litigation against the residential vacancy tax
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use San Francisco Apartment Association - SFAA
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
San Francisco Apartment Association - SFAA technology and API
TechnologyAPI detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Feature2 records
San Francisco Apartment Association - SFAA partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Intellirent (TransUnion)coreSFAA's trusted partner for tenant screening and rental marketing. Partnered with TransUnion to provide comprehensive credit reports and instant nationwide background checks. Each potential renter pays $40 application fee, verifies identity, and submits file online. Members obtain all data and documents in one spot with automated technology for tenancy and employment verifications.
- California Apartment Association (CAA)coreMembership with SFAA includes membership with the California Apartment Association, the nation's largest statewide trade group representing owners, investors, developers, managers, and suppliers of rental homes and apartment communities. Provides access to CAA forms, advocacy at state level, and expanded resources.
- Watchtower SecurityminorSeptember 2026 meeting sponsor. Provides visibility to SFAA membership through meeting sponsorship opportunity.
- Fried, Williams & Grice Conner LLPcoreTop SF real estate attorney firm teaching SFAA's Landlord 101 classes. Clifford Fried instructs property owners on beginning and ending tenancy best practices as part of SFAA's educational programming.
- Singer, Scott & Singer P.C.coreTop SF real estate attorney firm teaching SFAA's Landlord 101 classes. Edward C. Singer Jr. co-instructs property owners on beginning and ending tenancy best practices as part of SFAA's educational programming.
- ATCO Pest ControlminorPresented SFAA's Bed Bugs On-Demand Webinar covering San Francisco Department of Public Health Bed Bug Rules and Regulations. Richard Estrada instructs on what owners need to understand about managing bed bugs.
- SF Housing FoundationcoreSFHF's primary focus is educating landlords who do not speak English as their primary language. These property owners may have particularly difficult time keeping up with SF's ever-changing landlord-tenant laws. Affiliated organization extending SFAA's educational reach.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
San Francisco Apartment Association - SFAA competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- California Apartment Association: The state-level umbrella trade group for rental housing in California and SFAA's parent affiliate. Standard SFAA memberships automatically include CAA membership, giving members overlapping access to state forms, advocacy, and legal resources — making CAA the most directly comparable organization by mission and member base.
- National Apartment Association: The largest national trade association for the U.S. apartment industry, providing advocacy, education (NALP credentials), and supplier partnerships. Comparable to SFAA in mission — serving rental housing providers — but at national scale and through affiliated state/regional chapters.
- Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles: One of the largest local apartment associations in California, providing forms, legal guidance, education, and advocacy to LA-area landlords. Highly comparable to SFAA in operating model — membership tiers, attorney-curated forms, vendor directories — and directly competes for the same statewide CAA affiliation value.
- San Diego County Apartment Association: Local apartment trade association serving San Diego County landlords with advocacy, education, and forms. Directly comparable to SFAA in structure and member base, differing only in geographic focus and local regulatory environment.
- Tri-County Apartment Association: Regional apartment association serving Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties in Southern California. Operates a near-identical model to SFAA: membership tiers, advocacy, vendor directory, and educational programming for rental property owners.
Emerging players
- National Association of Residential Property Managers: National membership association specifically for single-family and small residential property managers, offering designations (RMP, MPM), education, and a vendor referral directory. Overlaps with SFAA's small-landlord segment but operates nationally without a geographic advocacy focus.
Regional players
- BOMA San Francisco: San Francisco chapter of the Building Owners and Managers Association, serving commercial building owners and managers in the same metro. Shares the local trade-association model and overlapping Preferred Vendor-style referral economics with SFAA, though its members operate commercial rather than residential assets.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
San Francisco Apartment Association - SFAA social profiles
Digital presenceSan Francisco Apartment Association - SFAA financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
San Francisco Apartment Association - SFAA leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
San Francisco Apartment Association - SFAA subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
San Francisco Apartment Association - SFAA funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
San Francisco Apartment Association - SFAA M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about San Francisco Apartment Association - SFAA
What does San Francisco Apartment Association - SFAA do?
SFAA is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit trade association that serves San Francisco rental housing providers through tiered annual memberships (Standard, Management Company, Preferred Vendor). Members gain access to the SFAA Residential Tenancy Agreement delivered via DocuSign, attorney-approved forms and signs, tenant screening through Intellirent/TransUnion, the CCRM certification and Landlord 101 education programs, the SF Apartment Magazine, and the SFAA Legal Fund for regulatory advocacy.
Is San Francisco Apartment Association - SFAA a public or private company?
San Francisco Apartment Association - SFAA is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was San Francisco Apartment Association - SFAA founded?
San Francisco Apartment Association - SFAA was founded in 1917. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is San Francisco Apartment Association - SFAA based?
San Francisco Apartment Association - SFAA is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does San Francisco Apartment Association - SFAA make money?
Seven revenue lines are on record. Standard Membership Dues are the primary driver. The others are management Company Membership Dues, preferred Vendor Membership Dues, educational Courses and Certifications, online Lease Access and Form Sales, SF Apartment Magazine Advertising and legal Fund Donations.
Who are San Francisco Apartment Association - SFAA's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are California Apartment Association, National Apartment Association, Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles, San Diego County Apartment Association and Tri-County Apartment Association. National Association of Residential Property Managers is listed as an emerging player. BOMA San Francisco is listed as a regional player.
Does San Francisco Apartment Association - SFAA have an API?
No public API is recorded for San Francisco Apartment Association - SFAA.
What industry is San Francisco Apartment Association - SFAA in?
San Francisco Apartment Association - SFAA's product category is Rental Housing Trade Association. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAJAFAB, Single-Family Rental (SFR) Property Management. Its SIC code is 8600.