Free SF apartment background check

1554-1556 Powell St

North Beach, SF 94133 0130027 2 units · 2 fl · 1907

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 North Beach
At or below average
avg 2.1
0
FewerMore

This building has 0 novs (7y), at or below the North Beach average of 2.1.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 1554-1556 Powell 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 1907
2 or more units
2 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
NBEACH
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 built1907
Total area2,100 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot0130027
Ownership

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

Owner name
Romelt Family Trust
Mailing address
Romelt Johna Surviving Trus 335 Abbie St Pleasanton CA 94566
Last sale
051496

Landlord portfolio

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

Unlock complete report
Multiple entrances & addresses

Included addresses

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

1556 Powell St, San Francisco, CA 94133
1554 Powell St, San Francisco, CA 94133
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The property at 1554-1556 Powell Street is a two-unit, two-story multi-family residential building located in San Francisco's North Beach neighborhood. Built in 1907 and currently owned by the Romelt Family Trust, this flats and duplex structure has undergone minimal documented improvements over the past several decades. The building's permit history includes three significant maintenance records, all from the 1990s and 2000s, with sidewalk repairs performed in 2001 (permit M16510) and a reroofing project completed in 1994 (permit 9420345), though both permits are now expired.

The property has experienced recurring issues with street and sidewalk cleanliness over the years, particularly in recent years with multiple reports of loose garbage in 2016, 2018, and most recently in September 2022. There have also been several instances of graffiti in the vicinity, including three recorded incidents between 2016 and 2022, affecting both public infrastructure (bike racks) and building surfaces. While these issues have generally been addressed through normal city processes and subsequent inspections, they may indicate ongoing challenges with maintaining the property's immediate surroundings. The most recent documented incident was a general cleaning request in September 2022, suggesting that the building's exterior environment continues to require periodic attention to maintain basic cleanliness standards.

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

Free account unlocks the full analysis — plus 2× more records across all data categories and the complete landlord portfolio.
Risk rating

How 1554-1556 Powell 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
70th percentile

Out of 362 buildings in this neighborhood, 109 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
85%
No DBI
violation
15%
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.

Neighborhood location

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

Building age

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

Building permits, owner's portfolio

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

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 80.4%
Moderate concern 13.5%
Severe concern 6.1%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

1554-1556 Powell St apartment reviews

Real experiences from people who have lived here. Share yours to help other renters decide.

Share your experience — Help other renters by leaving an honest apartment review

Create account

Loading reviews…

On the map

Compare nearby alternatives

This building and nearby alternatives, color-coded by risk level. Click any marker to explore.

Buildings nearby
Loading…
The story over time

1554-1556 Powell St event timeline

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

2025
Building Permit Aug 22
Re-roofing (w/ torch)
$6,500 · Complete

See all 1 events

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

Unlock complete timeline
Every record we have

Full data for 1554-1556 Powell St apartments

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

Still apartment hunting in SF?

Look up the next apartment before you sign

Search any SF address free — no account needed to see the risk rating.

Search another address Get full report
Simple pricing

Get the complete picture

Every plan unlocks the complete report: all 13 SF datasets, full history, landlord portfolio, and PDF & Excel exports.

Report Bundle

For the buildings you're deciding on right now

$10 one-time

~$3.33 per building. No subscription ever. Each credit unlocks one building's premium report for 30 days.

  • 3 full AI-powered reports
  • Download PDF reports
  • Advanced safety analysis
  • Compare multiple buildings
  • Credits never expire until you use them
  • Full public records (200 rows per dataset)
Buy 3 Reports — $10

Apartment Hunter

For a wide search across many buildings

$39 one-time

30 reports — ~$1.30 each. No subscription ever.

  • 30 full AI-powered reports
  • Download PDF reports
  • Advanced safety analysis
  • Compare multiple buildings
  • Credits never expire until you use them
  • Full public records (200 rows per dataset)
Buy 30 Reports — $39
Most Popular Current plan

Renter

For the weeks when the stakes are highest

$10/mo

Billed $120/year — save $24 vs monthly

  • Unlimited basic reports
  • 5 premium AI reports per month
  • Download PDF & Excel reports
  • Full public records (200 rows per dataset)
  • Full event timeline — every year of history
  • Landlord portfolio & ownership insights
Start Your Search

Less than $0.34/day. Cancel anytime.

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

Watch 1554-1556 Powell St
Get alerted the moment a new violation or complaint is filed.