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21 Alta St

Telegraph Hill, SF 94133 0106023 4 units · 3 fl · 1977

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 Telegraph Hill
Above average
avg 1.2
5
FewerMore

This building has 5 novs (7y), above the Telegraph Hill average of 1.2.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 21 Alta 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 1977
2 or more units
4 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
Units4
Floors3
Year built1977
Total area2,040 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot0106023
Ownership

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

Owner name
John P Early Declaration Of
Mailing address
Early John P & Doris,truste 98 Melbourn Road Warwick RI 02886
Last sale
121003

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.

21 A Alta St, San Francisco, CA 94133
21 Alta St, San Francisco, CA 94133
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The three-unit residential building at 21 Alta Street in Telegraph Hill, owned by John P. Early Declaration Of, was constructed in 1977 and has undergone several significant renovations and improvements over the years. Most recently, in October 2023, the building had electrical work completed to relocate conduit and remove a junction box for PG&E meter relocation. A notable cluster of building violations was documented in March 2021 regarding safety and maintenance issues, including malfunctioning windows, fire escape ladder maintenance, and window safety constraints, which were all abated by May 2021. The building underwent substantial work in 2002, including exterior renovations, roofing, fireplace replacements, and bathroom remodeling, with several permits from this period showing both completed and expired status.

The property's maintenance history shows attention to various structural elements, including termite repair in 1989 and multiple routine housing inspections through the years. In 2021, there was a tenant buyout of $66,000 involving one tenant, and several planning records indicate proposed improvements to the building's exterior materials, including replacing non-original shingle siding and aluminum windows, though some related permits from 2002 are marked as expired. Recent 311 calls (through late 2024) have primarily concerned issues with blocked sidewalks, though these are related to scooter parking and not directly connected to building management. The building's documented history spans several decades, showing regular maintenance and periodic updates, with the most recent major work focusing on safety compliance and electrical system updates.

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

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Risk rating

How 21 Alta 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
35th percentile

Out of 684 buildings in this neighborhood, 445 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
83%
No DBI
violation
17%
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.

Neighborhood location

Precise location is a proxy for neighborhood-level risk — some SF blocks have systematically higher DBI activity.

DBI tenant complaints (past 7 years)

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

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 61.4%
Moderate concern 15.8%
Severe concern 22.8%
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

21 Alta St event timeline

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

2026
311 Request Apr 26
Blocking driveway cite only
Parking Enforcement
311 RequestJan 24
Other illegal parking

See all 13 events

Full history back to 2021 — violations, complaints, permits, buyouts, and fire incidents.

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Every record we have

Full data for 21 Alta 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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