Outer Sunset Home Tied to Alleged Landlord Killing Hits Rental Market as Sale Is Blocked
A rental property in San Francisco's Outer Sunset has returned to the market under circumstances that are anything but ordinary.
The three-bedroom home at 2518 46th Ave., less than a mile from the Pacific Ocean, offers hardwood floors, a two-car garage and easy access to Ocean Beach. But the listing carries the weight of a criminal case: prosecutors allege the property's landlord fatally shot the previous tenant outside the home earlier this year.
The residence is at the center of the killing of Eric Bigone, a case that shocked San Francisco and led authorities to charge the landlord with murder, arson, assault and multiple firearms offenses. It has become one of the Bay Area's most closely watched criminal prosecutions of 2026.
Philippe Chagniot, 68, a retired dentist and the landlord of the 46th Avenue property, was arrested and charged in late May in connection with Bigone's killing outside the property, according to the San Francisco District Attorney's Office. A wrongful death lawsuit filed by Bigone's family says the killing likely grew out of a rental dispute between the two men.
Chagniot faces a murder charge with a firearm enhancement and a special-circumstances enhancement for lying in wait, along with several other gun- and arson-related charges, the district attorney's office said. He pleaded not guilty at his arraignment on May 29, according to court records.
According to San Francisco police, surveillance footage from May 17, 2026, captured Chagniot approaching the Outer Sunset property shortly after 5:10 a.m. on a bicycle while wearing dark clothing and a mask.
Investigators say he spray-painted surveillance cameras in the area before setting fire to Bigone's car, which was parked outside the house. Chagniot then allegedly hid along the side of the property while Bigone ran outside with a shovel to try to put out the flames, according to the district attorney's office.
As Bigone was distracted, Chagniot allegedly walked toward him with a silenced and fully automatic Mac-10 firearm and shot him in the back, authorities said. He allegedly shot Bigone again after he fell, the district attorney's office said. Camera footage later showed Chagniot casually biking away, police said.
San Francisco police used FLOCK cameras to track Chagniot's movements back to his home. But it was not until May 28 that the district attorney's office decided to arrest and charge him in connection with Bigone's killing.
Property records and court filings indicate the Chagniot 2007 Family Trust still owns the home, including Philippe Chagniot and his wife, Barbara Chagniot.
New details in the case emerged in June, after Bigone's son, Dino Bigone, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Chagniot, his wife and their trustee in an effort to stop them from selling the property.
Court records show Chagniot began renting the Outer Sunset home to Bigone for $3,200 a month in cash. The lawsuit alleges Chagniot wanted cash payments so the earnings would not have to be reported to state and federal governments for tax purposes.
The arrangement held until January 2026, when Chagniot decided he wanted to sell the property, according to court records. He began refusing Bigone's rental payments and threatened to evict him, the records show.
Between January and May, Chagniot repeatedly threatened to use the Ellis Act to force Bigone to leave the property. The lawsuit alleges Chagniot never started the Ellis Act process and instead confronted Bigone in person on May 17.
In response to the lawsuit, a San Francisco judge has barred the Chagniots and their trustee from selling the property while the case proceeds.
With a sale blocked, the Outer Sunset home began appearing on rental sites in late August. A listing on Homes.com shows the property first went up for rent on Aug. 22 at $8,000. Within days, the price fell to $6,500—nearly twice what Bigone had been paying. On Sept. 2, it dropped again and was relisted at $6,300. Since then, the rental has remained unchanged on rental sites.
The home's return to the rental market adds another layer to a case that has already raised questions about landlord-tenant tensions, housing pressure and safety in one of San Francisco's most desirable neighborhoods. For now, the property remains tied to both a criminal prosecution and a civil fight over whether it can be sold at all.
Noe Padilla is a Northern California Reporter for USA Today. Contact him at [email protected], follow him on X @1NoePadilla or on Bluesky @noepadilla.bsky.social. Sign up for the TODAY Californian newsletter or follow us on Facebook at TODAY Californian.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: After alleged landlord ambush killing, SF home seeks new tenant