Supervisor Alan Wong Announces “Dumb Laws” Contest Winner, Advances Legislation to Remove Burdensome or Outdated City Rules
Supervisor Alan Wong with Mike Nohr, District 4 resident and winner (left), and Katherine Roberts, winner (right)
SAN FRANCISCO – Today, Supervisor Alan Wong announced the winner of San Francisco’s “Dumb Laws” contest and his intent to amend the winning law, which creates unnecessary barriers for residents, while also removing other outdated regulations from the books.
Launched on March 11, the contest invited residents, homeowners, renters, and community members to identify local laws that no longer make sense or create real challenges in everyday life. The initiative received hundreds of submissions from across the city.
After reviewing submissions, the winning issue picked was San Francisco’s local ceiling height requirement for habitable rooms. The submission came from Katherine Roberts, who experienced the issue firsthand, and District 4 resident Mike Nohr, who identified the same concern.
Under current local rules, San Francisco generally requires a ceiling height of 7 feet 6 inches for habitable rooms, while California’s state standard is 7 feet. That six-inch difference may seem small, but in practice it can create a major barrier for homeowners trying to legalize existing in-law units, basement units, and accessory dwelling units. At a time when the City is facing a housing crisis, removing unnecessary barriers to legalizing existing homes is one of the fastest and most practical ways to increase the City’s legal housing stock by hundreds if not thousands of units.
“Today we are announcing the winning issue and the legislation we are working on to address it,” said Supervisor Alan Wong. “A few inches of ceiling height should not force homeowners into costly construction, keep existing units stuck in legal limbo, or take badly needed housing off the market. San Francisco needs all the housing it can get, and our rules should make it easier, not harder, to safely legalize existing homes.”
Roberts shared her experience navigating the process of trying to legalize lower-level units in her home.
“I have units that are safe, with light, air, and exits, and located near transit, but I am not legally allowed to rent them,” said Katherine Roberts. “To comply with current rules, I was told it could require major excavation and reconstruction, with costs reaching into the hundreds of thousands or more. I want to be a responsible housing provider, but the process makes that nearly impossible.”
District 4 resident Mike Nohr emphasized how the regulation affects neighborhoods citywide.
“Across San Francisco, many homeowners are not renting out existing units because of the cost and complexity of bringing them into compliance,” said Mike Nohr. “This is especially challenging for seniors who rely on rental income to stay in their homes. Allowing flexibility for small differences in ceiling height would help unlock housing that already exists.”
Supervisor Alan Wong announced that his office is advancing legislation to create a more practical pathway to legalize existing units. The proposal does not rezone neighborhoods or require new construction. It focuses on allowing homeowners to bring existing spaces into compliance and increasing access to permitted housing.
“For tenants, this also means access to legal protections they may not currently have,” Supervisor Alan Wong added.
In addition to the ceiling height reform, the legislation package will repeal three outdated provisions from the municipal code:
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An old rule banning bread, cakes, and pastries from being carried through public streets in open baskets or exposed containers — likely a plague-era public health measure that has since been superseded by modern food-safety laws.
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The City’s obsolete “circulating library” rule, which required written, in-person parental consent before a private book-rental business could rent books to anyone under 21 — a rule tied to an industry that no longer exists.
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A 1911 industrial wiping-rag regulation requiring used clothing, bedding, and textiles — including old underwear — to be boiled in caustic soda before reuse as cleaning rags, a concern now addressed through modern workplace safety and public health regulations.
“These examples may be humorous, but they reflect a serious issue,” Supervisor Alan Wong said. “Our code has accumulated over more than a century. Laws get added, but they are rarely removed when they no longer serve a purpose. Our job is to make government simpler, more practical, and more responsive.”
Supervisor Alan Wong thanked all participants in the contest and recognized Katherine and Mike for helping identify a real barrier to housing.
“This is what responsive government looks like,” Supervisor Alan Wong said. “Listening to residents, identifying problems, and taking action.”
