San Francisco Property Tax Appeals & Prop 13
Overassessed Property Tax in San Francisco
14% of the 125K homes we analyzed are likely overpaying in property taxes. Condos since 2015 and peak-era (2021-2022) buyers are most likely to be overpaying.
San Francisco's 2026 property-tax appeal window closes on Tuesday, September 15. Every year, many homeowners discover that the city's assessed value is higher than the market evidence for their property. Only a small fraction of eligible homeowners actually appeal their taxes. The process only takes <2 hours and saves a median of >$1K. Several “property tax services” offer to help you contest this and charge ~20-30% of your savings. We recommend (1) finding out if your home is a good candidate, (2) filing the appeal yourself, and (3) representing yourself in the hearing to save hundreds or even thousands of dollars.
We analyzed 124,859 San Francisco condos and single-family homes to understand how property type, purchase timing, and neighborhood affect assessments. That covers 65% of all residential tax parcels and 85% of the city's standard condos and single-family dwellings.
Top three takeaways
- 14% of homeowners are likely overpaying. That is about 17,500 people who should take a second look.
- Condo owners are more likely to be overpaying. The rate is 25% for condos and 7% for single-family homes.
- When you bought mattered most. Condo buyers from 2015 onward and many condo and single-family buyers from 2021 and 2022 would benefit from reviewing their assessments.
Most homes are benefiting from Prop 13
Across the homes we analyzed, 62% have property taxes below their current market value. These properties are benefiting from Prop 13's limit on annual assessment growth. Another 23% are roughly in line. The remaining 14% are probably overpaying.
Property-tax position across 124,859 analyzed homes
Most homes are benefiting from Prop 13. Fourteen percent are likely overpaying.
Condos are much more exposed
Twenty-five percent of condos may be overpaying in property taxes. The rate among single-family homes is around 7%.
Condos are more likely to be overpaying
Property-tax position within each property type.
When you bought matters most
For condos, the likelihood of benefiting from a property-tax appeal rose from 21% among 2013 buyers to 40% in 2015, then remained between 40% and 49% through 2022. Nearly half of these condo owners should double-check their assessments because they may be owed a refund.
Single-family homes follow a similar pattern, starting a little later. The share likely eligible for a reduction rises from 0.3% among 2011 buyers to 40% among 2022 buyers. The pattern reverses for 2023 and 2024. Those owners bought after the earlier market peak, so their assessed values were more likely to begin close to recent market evidence.
% likely overpaying by purchase year
Peak-era buyers are the most likely to be overpaying.
If you wait long enough, you will eventually benefit from Prop 13
Among 2010 through 2012 buyers, 54% to 70% of condos and more than 91% of single-family homes are benefiting from Prop 13. Among 2021 buyers, only 9% of condos and 13% of single-family homes are.
% of Prop 13 beneficiaries by purchase year
Older buyers are much more likely to benefit from Prop 13.
The potential annual tax savings total $58.8 million
Across all 17,667 homes that may be overpaying, the potential annual tax savings total $58.8 million. That is about 2.1% of the residential property-tax levy implied by the official 2025 roll. The median per home is $1,769. For 96% of these homes, the potential savings exceed San Francisco's $120 filing fee.
Potential annual tax savings per home
The median potential savings are $1,769. The total across 17,667 homes is $58.8 million per year.
These figures estimate the annual difference if the conservative assessment gap were accepted. They are not realized refunds, appeal forecasts, or savings guarantees.
What a homeowner should do
- Find your assessment. Then use the free address checkto compare the city's assessment with current market evidence.
- Find genuinely comparable sales. Focus on similar homes sold near the January 1 valuation date. If you want help finding them, a $10 report from sfpropertytax.com provides a comparison set and downloadable evidence.
- File by September 15.The city's regular 2026 appeal period runs from July 2 through September 15. The filing fee is $120.
- Keep the evidence ready. California law generally gives the Board up to two years to decide a timely application unless the parties agree to an extension.
Use the step-by-step filing guidefor the city's form and online portal.
Before paying someone a percentage of the savings
Several services advertise contingency fees based on first-year savings. A 30% fee on the median potential savings in this study would be about $531. At the 75th percentile it would be about $1,049.
For an ordinary residential decline-in-value appeal, the self-service path asks you to review the evidence, complete the application, and participate in the process. Learning it once can help if you need to file again.
SF Property Tax Appeal is a self-service evidence tool. It does not file an appeal, represent a homeowner, provide an appraisal, or guarantee a reduction.
Method and important limits
The study uses the 2025 closed assessment roll because a complete 2026 city roll with observed subject assessments was unavailable when the analysis ran. The citywide rates describe that 2025 snapshot. The deadline and filing instructions describe the 2026 appeal window.
The analysis contains 49,374 condos and 75,485 single-family homes. It represents 84.7% of the 147,356 standard condo and dwelling parcels on the official roll and 65.2% of all 191,389 assessor-designated residential parcels. Multi-family homes, TICs, mixed-use property, and other classes sit outside the analysis.
“Purchase year” is the last recorded transfer year. Some transfers are partial, family-related, or otherwise not open-market purchases. The analysis cannot observe interior condition, renovations, view, noise, parking, HOA quality, or every other feature that affects value.
The 2.1% comparison applies San Francisco's 2025–2026 tax rate to the net assessed value of residential parcels in the official 2025 roll. It describes an implied levy, not actual collections.
Read the full methodology and data sources. Filing facts are from the San Francisco Assessor-Recorder's guidance. The tax rate is from the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. The two-year rule is described by the California Board of Equalization.