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848-850 Bay St

Russian Hill, SF 94109 0026015 2 units · 3 fl · 1900

This building has a higher-than-average number of open problems nearby. Few open issues; problems get fixed quickly. A reasonable bet for a smooth tenancy.

NOVs (7y) vs. neighborhood
Compared to a typical building in Russian Hill
At or below average
avg 1.9
0
FewerMore

This building has 0 novs (7y), at or below the Russian Hill average of 1.9.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 848-850 Bay St rent-controlled?

San Francisco's Rent Ordinance caps rent increases and provides eviction protection for most residential units built before 1979 with 2+ units. Here's how this building scores.

Built before 1979
Built 1900
2 or more units
2 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
RH3
Likely rent-controlled. Building age and unit count suggest this property falls under San Francisco's Rent Ordinance.

Based on SF Assessor records. Not legal advice — confirm with the SF Rent Board.

Building characteristics
Units2
Floors3
Year built1900
Total area5,783 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot0026015
Ownership

Registered owner per SF Assessor-Recorder (secured roll).

Owner name
Cardinal Bay Properties Llc
Mailing address
Cardinal Prop 1205 Pacific Ave Santa Cruz CA 95060
Last sale
092418

Landlord portfolio

Other SF properties this owner holds, with risk grades for each.

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Multiple entrances & addresses

Included addresses

All street addresses sharing this blocklot that are covered by this report.

850 Bay St, San Francisco, CA 94109
848 Bay St, San Francisco, CA 94109
Augrented Insights
AI summary

The property at 848-850 Bay Street in San Francisco's Russian Hill neighborhood is a three-story, multi-family residential building constructed in 1900 and currently owned by Cardinal Bay Properties LLC. The building has undergone significant improvements and faced several challenges over its history. A major upgrade was completed between 2016-2018, including the installation of a roof elevator and retrofit of the rear yard retaining wall ($25,000), followed by garden shed installations in 2019-2021, with the latter representing a resolution to previous complaints regarding an unauthorized structure. The building experienced substantial utility upgrades in 2007-2008, including comprehensive plumbing and electrical work for new bathrooms, kitchen, and elevator systems, as well as the installation of a new low-pressure boiler and fire sprinkler system.

The property has a history of compliance issues that have since been resolved. Notable violations from 2005-2009 involved unauthorized construction of retaining walls and an oversized shed in the rear yard, which were abated through proper permitting and enforcement. More recent concerns emerged in 2020 regarding a backyard studio installation, but this was addressed through proper permitting processes and final inspections completed in 2022. The building has shown ongoing maintenance and improvement activity over the years, with completed permits indicating attention to both structural integrity and resident amenities. Recent improvements include garden shed revisions (2021), final inspections for earlier work (2022), and consistent updates to comply with current codes. The property's maintenance record suggests active management, with particular attention to resolving past violations and maintaining building safety through regular upgrades and prompt response to regulatory requirements.

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Risk rating

How 848-850 Bay St's risk score is calculated

We trained a model on 7 years of SF DBI inspection data — notice of violation filings, complaint history, and owner track records. It estimates the probability that DBI inspectors will issue a Notice of Violation at this address in the next 12 months. Lower % = safer.

What the score means for you

Grade A–B — Low risk

DBI rarely finds violations here. Strong maintenance history and a clean complaint record.

Grade C — Moderate risk

Some past violations or complaints on record. Worth asking the landlord about any open issues before signing.

Grade D–F — High risk

Elevated violation and complaint history. DBI has found issues here before and is statistically likely to again.

Neighborhood percentile
91th percentile

Out of 1133 buildings in this neighborhood, 102 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
91%
No DBI
violation
9%
DBI violation
likely
Model explanation

What's driving this score

The three data points that most influenced this building's risk rating — ranked by the weight the model placed on each one.

DBI tenant complaints (past 7 years)

Formal complaints tenants filed with DBI about this building over 7 years.

Building size

Total floor area — a proxy for building scale and the number of systems (plumbing, electrical, HVAC) that can fail.

Neighborhood (ZIP code)

The ZIP code captures local housing market and enforcement patterns that affect all buildings in the area.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 83.2%
Moderate concern 10.6%
Severe concern 6.2%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

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The story over time

848-850 Bay St event timeline

Violations, complaints, fire incidents, permits, and buyouts — most recent records in order.

2026
Fire Complaint May 08
Sprinkler/Standpipe Systems

See all 6 events

Full history back to 2019 — violations, complaints, permits, buyouts, and fire incidents.

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Every record we have

Full data for 848-850 Bay St apartments

13 SF public datasets for this parcel — permits, violations, complaints, fire records, 311 calls, planning records, and buyouts.

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Cancel anytime · Data sourced from SF Open Data, DBI, SFFD, SF Rent Board & Planning

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