S.F deputies don't carry out evictions during the holidays. But in court, the clock's still ticking.

"For the last two weeks of December, San Franciscans facing eviction get a break. Deputy sheriffs, who usually make their weekly round of door-to-door evictions on Wednesdays, won't be going out for the rest of the year. For some, the temporary reprieve lets them stay in their homes at least until Jan. 7, the first Wednesday of 2026. But ahead of the holidays, they're still busy pleading their case."

"Sheriff's deputies may pause enforcing evictions for the holidays, but the courts don't stop ruling on them - they close down only for Christmas and New Year's Day. 'We have a full calendar,' said Ora Prochovnick, the director of litigation and policy for the Eviction Defense Collaborative, a non-profit providing free legal assistance to tenants facing eviction. Prochovnick has 19 cases scheduled for the afternoon of Christmas Eve. Often, the court sees nearly 50 cases each day during the last two weeks of December,"

Deputy sheriffs suspend their regular Wednesday door-to-door evictions for the final two weeks of December, producing temporary stays for some tenants until Jan. 7, 2026. Courts remain open except on Christmas and New Year's Day, leading to a heavy calendar of eviction hearings late in December. Free legal aid providers report a surge of clients seeking pro-bono defense as the year ends. The Eviction Defense Collaborative scheduled numerous cases, including 19 on Christmas Eve, and the eviction court can see nearly 50 cases per day in that period. Language barriers and limited counsel complicate many tenants' efforts to stay.

Read at Mission Local