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952 Powell St

Nob Hill, SF 94108 0224019 21 units · 3 fl · 1913

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
At or below average
avg 2.4
0
FewerMore

This building has 0 novs (7y), at or below the Nob Hill average of 2.4.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 952 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 1913
2 or more units
21 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
Units21
Floors3
Year built1913
Total area10,224 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusHome Owners
Blocklot0224019
Ownership

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

Owner name
Wong Karen Y
Mailing address
952 Powell St Apt 18 San Francisco CA 94108
Last sale
072115

Landlord portfolio

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

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Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The historic 21-unit apartment building at 952 Powell Street in Nob Hill, constructed in 1913, has experienced persistent fire safety compliance challenges over recent years. Most notably, the building underwent significant fire safety system upgrades in late 2023, including a $34,000 fire alarm system modernization to meet current codes, though this appears to have resulted in an open violation regarding the high-rise sprinkler system compliance as of December 2024. The property has documented multiple fire code violations between 2017 and 2024, with recurring issues related to sleeping area requirements, alarm systems, and sprinkler/standpipe systems. Recent permits indicate ongoing efforts to improve security and safety, including an iron security gate installation in 2021 and various maintenance works. Historical records show previous violations from 2001 and 2005 related to fire escape maintenance and egress obstructions, both of which were resolved. The building's systems have received attention over the years, including a reroofing project in 2006 and various plumbing upgrades, such as a domestic hot water system replacement in 2009.

The property has experienced several fire incident responses, though notably, none resulted in civilian injuries. Of particular concern is the pattern of violations and complaints regarding fire safety systems, though most historical violations have been resolved. Recent 311 calls from late 2024 primarily relate to street cleaning and maintenance issues outside the building. The current ownership, under Karen Wong, has continued to invest in building improvements, as evidenced by recent permitted works, though the open violations regarding fire safety systems suggest ongoing compliance challenges. The building's location and age contribute to unique maintenance requirements, and while many historical issues have been resolved, the pattern of recent violations indicates ongoing oversight needs regarding fire safety system maintenance and upgrades.

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

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Risk rating

How 952 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
5th percentile

Out of 1125 buildings in this neighborhood, 1069 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
16%
No DBI
violation
84%
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.

Construction spend, owner's portfolio

Estimated permit value across all of this owner's buildings.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 9.1%
Moderate concern 75.7%
Severe concern 15.2%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

952 Powell St apartment reviews

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The story over time

952 Powell St event timeline

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

2026
311 Request May 01
Municipal transportation agency
scooters request for service
311 RequestJan 19
311 service request

See all 10 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 952 Powell 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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