Free SF apartment background check

959 Powell St

Nob Hill, SF 94108 0223002 12 units · 3 fl · 1912

This building has far more open problems than almost any other in the neighborhood. 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 Nob Hill
Above average
avg 2.4
7
FewerMore

This building has 7 novs (7y), above the Nob Hill average of 2.4.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 959 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 1912
2 or more units
12 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
RC4
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
Units12
Floors3
Year built1912
Total area8,650 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot0223002
Ownership

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

Owner name
Nob Hill Rock Llc
Mailing address
Mardikian Haig G 1801 Van Ness Ave Ste 320 San Francisco CA 94109
Last sale
061899

Landlord portfolio

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

Unlock complete report
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The 12-unit, 3-story multi-family residential building at 959 Powell Street, owned by Nob Hill Rock LLC, has an extensive maintenance and incident history since its construction in 1912. Most recently, in July 2023, there was significant fire/smoke damage requiring removal of hazardous materials, with associated permits valued at $84,000. The building is currently facing multiple active violations filed in March 2023, including issues with water damage, fire safety systems, garbage receptacle placement, and compliance documentation. A notable complaint from December 2022 reported leaks in the boiler room causing mold and odor problems affecting units. The building has experienced recurring fire safety system issues, with five fire alarm-related incidents recorded in 2023-2024, though most were determined to have no merit or resulted in violations being issued.

Historical records show a pattern of maintenance and compliance challenges, including a 2000 incident involving an inoperative boiler unit and various fire safety concerns that were eventually resolved. The property has completed its Soft-Story seismic retrofitting requirements as a Tier 3 building. Several significant development proposals have been considered for the site over the years, including plans for additional units and commercial space, though these have mostly remained informational or not pursued. The building's recent history has been marked by infrastructure issues, particularly related to water systems, fire safety, and periodic boiler problems, with the most pressing current concerns being the active violations from 2023.

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 959 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
6th percentile

Out of 1125 buildings in this neighborhood, 1058 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
18%
No DBI
violation
82%
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 size

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

Number of units

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

NOV rate, owner's portfolio

Per-building NOV rate across everything this owner manages — high rates signal pattern neglect.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 22.2%
Moderate concern 61.0%
Severe concern 16.8%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

959 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

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

959 Powell St event timeline

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

2026
Building Permit Jun 01
Admin permit to switch c-16 on original approved plan set to new c-16 contractor original scope of work: under pa#2025-0319-2607. install new fire service main. install new fire sprinkler systemin (e) apartment building. ref pa 202408198958 - 127 heads
$1 · Issued
311 RequestMay 26
Garbage and debris

See all 22 events

Full history back to 2023 — violations, complaints, permits, buyouts, and fire incidents.

Unlock complete timeline
Every record we have

Full data for 959 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.

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

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

Watch 959 Powell St
Get alerted the moment a new violation or complaint is filed.