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70 Russell St

Russian Hill, SF 94109 0123011 2 units · 2 fl · 1916

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 70 Russell 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 1916
2 or more units
2 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
RH2
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
Floors2
Year built1916
Total area1,520 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot0123011
Ownership

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

Owner name
Tony Eng & Shaw Kim Lee Rev
Mailing address
1215 Roble Rd Millbrae CA 94030
Last sale
061099

Landlord portfolio

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

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Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The two-unit multi-family residential building at 70 Russell Street in Russian Hill, owned by Tony Eng & Shaw Kim Lee Rev, is a two-story flats and duplex structure built in 1916. The building has experienced recurring sewer-related issues over recent years, with three documented incidents between 2017 and 2024 involving sewage back-ups from vent systems, with the most recent occurrence in November 2024 being officially resolved by PUC Sewer Operations. Of particular note is a concerning planning record indicating a dwelling unit merger of the building's two units into one, though both units reportedly still retain individual mail and power meters, with no official record of this conversion from two units to one.

The building's maintenance history includes a significant exterior repair in 2005 when damaged redwood siding was replaced and painted, a project completed at a cost of $3,000. While the permits and 311 call records show some basic maintenance and service requests typical of a building of its age, the pattern of sewer issues constitutes the most notable ongoing infrastructure challenge. The building's documented history spans from the early 1980s through the present, though detailed records from earlier decades are limited.

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

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Risk rating

How 70 Russell 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
72th percentile

Out of 1133 buildings in this neighborhood, 317 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.

Building age

Older buildings tend to have more maintenance challenges; SF's pre-1906 earthquake housing stock carries distinct risk.

Neighborhood (ZIP code)

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

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 77.4%
Moderate concern 13.2%
Severe concern 9.3%
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

70 Russell St event timeline

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

2026
311 Request May 21
Municipal transportation agency
transportation engineering request for service
311 RequestMar 09
Sewage back-up discharge

See all 4 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 70 Russell 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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