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55 Bret Harte Ter

Russian Hill, SF 94133 0044003D 5 units · 3 fl · 1949

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 55 Bret Harte Ter 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 1949
2 or more units
5 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
Units5
Floors3
Year built1949
Total area4,950 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusHome Owners
Blocklot0044003D
Ownership

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

Owner name
Lew James A & Tom-Lew Ella
Mailing address
James Lew 55 Bret Harte Ter San Francisco CA 94133
Last sale
000000

Landlord portfolio

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

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Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The three-story, five-unit apartment building at 55 Bret Harte Terrace in Russian Hill, owned by Lew James and Ella Tom-lew, has a history dating back to its 1949 construction. Notable improvements include a reroofing project completed in 2008 ($4,500), the installation of dual-glazed vinyl windows in 1997, and several interior renovations in 1988 including a kitchen remodel and hardwood floor installation. The building underwent significant fire safety upgrades in 2002, including the installation of sprinklers in parking garages, following multiple fire safety violations noted in 2001 regarding combustible storage, fire extinguishers, and handrail requirements, all of which were abated by June 2002.

Recent history shows relatively few major building-specific issues, though there have been some ongoing maintenance and safety matters in the surrounding area. The building has experienced three minor fire incidents, all with no civilian injuries reported: a malfunctioning smoke detector activation, a wiring-related heat incident, and a contained cooking fire. Regular housing inspections have occurred throughout the years, with routine inspections in 1997, 2001, 2006, and 2008, plus a 2004 complaint regarding potential ventilation concerns between units and the garage. More recent activity consists primarily of external maintenance and neighborhood issues, including multiple parking enforcement calls and street cleaning requests in 2023-2024.

AI-generated · may contain errors · check the source data tables below

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Risk rating

How 55 Bret Harte Ter'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
37th percentile

Out of 1133 buildings in this neighborhood, 714 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
65%
No DBI
violation
35%
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.

Number of units

The number of units affects how the model reads complaint and violation totals — more units means more potential sources.

Building permits, owner's portfolio

Permits pulled across all of this owner's buildings over 7 years.

Owner's portfolio size

Number of SF parcels this owner is registered on — larger portfolios have distinct risk patterns.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 44.6%
Moderate concern 13.5%
Severe concern 42.0%
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

55 Bret Harte Ter event timeline

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

2026
311 Request Mar 19
Parking on sidewalk
Parking Enforcement
311 RequestFeb 08
Other illegal parking

See all 6 events

Full history back to 2025 — violations, complaints, permits, buyouts, and fire incidents.

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Every record we have

Full data for 55 Bret Harte Ter 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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