Following a successful $5.3 million venture capital raise this spring, Roy Lee, CEO of the AI startup Cluely, quickly moved to secure prime real estate in San Francisco.
In May, Cluely secured eight luxury apartments for its staff, conveniently located a minute’s walk from their South of Market office. This premium complex boasts rents ranging from $3,000 to $12,000 for penthouses, along with amenities like a fitness center, a rooftop bar, and full concierge and housecleaning services.
Lee, 22, explained his philosophy: ‘The office should feel like an extension of your living room.’ He opted to live in Cluely’s loft-style office himself, aiming to foster a ‘frat house’ atmosphere where commuting isn’t a factor for his team.
This AI boom, spearheaded by companies like Cluely, has made San Francisco’s residential rental market the nation’s fastest-growing. In the past year, average apartment prices jumped by 6 percent, far exceeding New York City’s 2.5 percent increase. With an average monthly rent of $3,315, San Francisco now trails only New York City’s $3,360 for the highest rental costs nationwide.
This intense AI-driven demand has pushed San Francisco’s already tight housing market to its breaking point. Both tech workers and others are facing fierce competition for rentals, with prospective tenants reportedly showing up to viewings with cash in hand, enduring long queues, and experiencing swift rejections.
The situation exacerbates concerns about affordability in San Francisco, a city historically known for its high cost of living. Mayor Daniel Lurie, while supportive of the flourishing AI industry with giants like OpenAI and Anthropic, has prioritized tackling the affordable housing crisis.
Will Goodman, a principal at Strada Investment Group – developers of the luxury complex Cluely leased from – expressed his astonishment: ‘Honestly, I’ve never seen anything like it before.’ He noted that within two months of its May opening, half of the 501 units were already leased.
According to Ted Egan, chief economist for San Francisco, current market rents are still below pre-pandemic levels when adjusted for inflation. However, he admitted that many service workers who moved out of rent-controlled units during the pandemic would now struggle to re-enter the market.
‘The tech sector is undeniably dictating housing costs,’ remarked Egan.
Caroline Roche, a 25-year-old demand planner at the travel company Backroads, recently faced this rental crisis herself. Having moved twice since starting her first post-college job in San Francisco in 2022, she was shocked by the extreme difficulty of finding an apartment in her preferred neighborhoods during her planned third move this summer.
At one property viewing in the North of the Panhandle neighborhood, she and her partner encountered 20 other couples vying for the same unit. Roche recalled receiving same-day rejections for some of her applications.
She expressed her frustration: ‘It’s disheartening to feel like you’re doing everything right — having a job, managing finances — yet you’re still excluded from affording the housing you desire.’
Roche and her partner approached their apartment search like a demanding second job, completing 25 tours in a single week. They considered themselves ‘super lucky’ to secure a one-bedroom apartment near Golden Gate Park within their $3,200 monthly budget and have no plans to move again for at least two years.
Ryan Shane, president of Housing Guild Management Company (which oversees many Victorian and Edwardian-style buildings), observed a drastic change: landlords now receive one to three applications on the very day an apartment is listed, a stark contrast to the few applications they might see in a month previously.
He noted that for landlords, the process of finding tenants is ‘much, much easier than it has been in a very long time.’
Areas surrounding major AI companies, like Mission Bay (home to OpenAI’s headquarters), are experiencing intense demand. CoStar data shows Mission Bay rents surged 13 percent last year, as AI startup employees, often working extensive hours, prioritize proximity to their workplaces, according to Strada’s Goodman.
Flo Crivello, 33, CEO of Lindy, an AI software startup, offers his roughly 40 employees a $1,000 monthly rent stipend if they reside within a 10-minute walk of the office.
While two employees took up the offer when Lindy was located near Hayes Valley and Duboce Triangle, none have since the company relocated to SoMa. Crivello is now contemplating extending the eligible radius to attract more participants.
Crivello believes that proximity to work boosts employee happiness and health, ultimately leading to higher retention, improved performance, and longer working hours.
In August, Taylor Cordoba, 23, involved in an AI medical technology startup, found herself waiting in line at a North Beach apartment viewing, alongside about 15 other prospective renters.
She witnessed desperate tactics: at one showing, a person offered a $7,000 cash deposit on the spot, and at another in Pacific Heights, an applicant presented a job offer letter, pleaded to sign immediately, and offered to pay the deposit upfront.
Cordoba described the two-month, dozen-plus apartment search as ‘stressful.’ She eventually secured a three-bedroom apartment for $6,000 monthly in Cow Hollow, sharing it with two roommates.
Ia Balbuena, 27, took an unconventional approach during her summer studio apartment hunt, posting signs on telephone poles in desired neighborhoods. Her handmade flyers, featuring an illustration of herself and her two cats, Miso and Frida, read: ‘If you or someone you know are moving out of their studio or 1br send me a text!’
Despite her creative efforts, the signs yielded no results. However, after about eight viewings, Balbuena, an office manager at a venture capital firm, considered herself ‘really lucky’ to find a studio near Haight Ashbury for $2,500 a month.
The entire ordeal was ‘crazy,’ she admitted, yet in San Francisco’s current housing climate, it felt ‘completely normal.’