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859-865 Union St

Russian Hill, SF 94133 0119035 10 units · 3 fl · 1909

This building has significantly more problems than most nearby buildings. Renters here report frequent, slow-to-fix problems. Get repair promises in writing and check the unit before signing.

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 859-865 Union 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 1909
2 or more units
10 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
RM2
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
Units10
Floors3
Year built1909
Total area9,228 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot0119035
Ownership

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

Owner name
Chan Harvey
Mailing address
386 29th St San Francisco CA 94131
Last sale
000000

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.

865 Union St, San Francisco, CA 94133
863 Union St, San Francisco, CA 94133
861 Union St, San Francisco, CA 94133
859 Union St, San Francisco, CA 94133
859 C Union St, San Francisco, CA 94133
859 A Union St, San Francisco, CA 94133
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The three-story, 10-unit multi-family residential building at 859-865 Union Street in Russian Hill, owned by Harvey Chan, was constructed in 1909 and has undergone several significant maintenance and safety inspections over the past 23 years. Recent building improvements include a complete re-roofing project (completed in 2017 at a cost of $11,200) and the installation of a natural gas direct vent fireplace in 2018. The property has experienced recurring fire safety inspections, with recent concerns in July 2023 regarding extinguishers that were corrected by August 2023. Other fire safety issues were noted in 2016 (electrical systems) and 2017 (extinguishers), all of which were addressed.

The building's maintenance history reveals some persistent issues affecting resident comfort, particularly a 2010 complaint documenting multiple problems including mold, paint degradation, roof leaks, window functionality issues, leaking faucets, and inadequate kitchen ventilation. While this complaint was marked as "Not Active" after investigation, it highlights historical maintenance challenges. The property has experienced periodic infrastructure work including street space permits (most recently in 2018) and a notable plumbing issue in 2018 involving a natural gas fireplace installation. Routine housing inspections were conducted in 2000 and 2005 with no significant issues reported. Recent years (2020-2023) have seen various minor exterior issues addressed through 311 calls, primarily relating to street cleaning, parking enforcement, and lighting concerns. The building's location has experienced typical urban challenges including illegal postings and parking violations, though these are not directly related to building conditions.

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

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Risk rating

How 859-865 Union 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
11th percentile

Out of 1133 buildings in this neighborhood, 1008 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
23%
No DBI
violation
77%
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 size

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

Neighborhood location

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

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 8.5%
Moderate concern 32.0%
Severe concern 59.5%
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

859-865 Union St event timeline

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

2025
Fire Complaint Jul 15
Sprinkler/Standpipe Systems
Violation Issued

See all 4 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 859-865 Union St apartments

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

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