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845 California St

Downtown, SF 94108 0256029 58 units · 8 fl · 1931

This building has a substantial enforcement record over the last seven years, and our model predicts continuing maintenance failures over the next 12 months. Read the records below before you sign. Ask which issues were resolved, get repair commitments in writing, and inspect the unit yourself.

NOVs (7y) vs. neighborhood
Records already on file, against a typical building in Downtown — not a forecast
Above average
avg 6.9
10
FewerMore

This building has 10 novs (7y), above the Downtown average of 6.9.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 845 California 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 1931
2 or more units
58 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
RM4
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.

Statewide backstop · AB 1482

California Tenant Protection Act of 2019

Even when a building isn't covered by local rent stabilization, the statewide Tenant Protection Act (AB 1482) may still apply. It caps annual rent increases and requires the landlord to state a legal reason to end most tenancies.

15+ years since occupancy
Built 1931
Annual rent increase cap
5% + CPI, max 10%
Just-cause eviction
After 12 months
Local rent control likely takes priority. This building appears to fall under the local ordinance above, which is stronger than AB 1482. Where a local just-cause ordinance applies, its rules govern instead of the state cap.

AB 1482 does not apply to single-family homes and condos unless owned by a corporation, REIT, or an LLC with a corporate member; to owner-occupied duplexes; or to deed-restricted affordable housing. The Act is in effect until January 1, 2030. Not legal advice — see the California landlord–tenant guide.

Building characteristics
Units58
Floors8
Year built1931
Total area43,006 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot0256029
Ownership

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

Mailing address
Steven C. Thrower 1 Bush St Ste 900 San Francisco CA 94104
Last sale
September 11, 2002

Landlord portfolio

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

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Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The 58-unit, 8-story building at 845 California Street, constructed in 1931, has experienced significant and ongoing maintenance issues in 2026, with particular concern over elevator reliability and plumbing problems. Most notably, there have been multiple active violations and complaints regarding elevator service, with records showing the elevators have been out of service for extended periods throughout the year, with residents reporting approximately 86 days without proper service in 2026 alone. These elevator outages have particularly impacted elderly and disabled residents, creating serious accessibility concerns. The building has also faced plumbing issues, including reports of sewage leakage in stairwells and maintenance challenges, with inhabitants describing the situation as creating "a suffocating smell of urine" and expressing concerns about deteriorating living conditions. The property has current active Notices of Violation related to both building and elevator conditions filed in July 2026, though some previous violations from earlier in 2026 were marked as not active.

The building's maintenance history shows some efforts at improvement, with several completed building permits indicating unit renovations, including kitchen and bathroom work in units 308 and 404, and window replacement in unit 508. A fire alarm system upgrade to current codes was filed in May 2024. The property management has received numerous service requests related to both elevator and plumbing issues, with some cases being marked as duplicates. While there have been several building permits issued for various unit improvements and repairs, the persistent nature of the elevator and plumbing problems suggests ongoing infrastructure challenges within the building. The property, owned by 845 California Street LLC and managed by Brick and Timber, has generated significant concerns among residents about maintenance response times and living conditions, particularly during the current year.

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

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Risk rating

How 845 California 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

Lower risk — safer than most nearby

DBI rarely finds violations here. Strong maintenance history and a clean complaint record.

Typical — about average for the neighborhood

Some past violations or complaints on record. Worth asking the landlord about any open issues before signing.

Higher risk — riskier than most nearby

Elevated violation and complaint history. DBI has found issues here before and is statistically likely to again.

Neighborhood percentile
34thpercentile

Out of 448 buildings in this neighborhood, 296 are predicted to be safer. The band is relative to this neighborhood, so a share of every neighborhood falls in each colour.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
11%
No DBI
violation
89%
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.

Neighborhood location

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

12-Month risk forecast
High failure risk 89%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

845 California St apartment reviews

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The story over time

845 California St event timeline

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

2026
DBI Complaint Aug 04
Date last observed: 03-aug-26; exact location: main bldg; building type: residence/dwelling stairway safety; other plumbing; disabled acc: elevator/lift; ; additional information: no elevator service at all in 9 story building. it's been over 90 days so far this year of intermittent service of one elevator, and one that has been down for months. currently both are not operating. also, sewage plumbing leak reported at the base of the metal, fire-escape style inside stairs to the left of the laundry room, down in the far basement. puddle observed a few days ago with strong smell of urine a few days ago.;
Housing Inspection Services
311 & DBI ComplaintJul 28
Plumbing broken leaking

See all 37 events

Full history back to 2019 — violations, complaints, permits, buyouts, and fire incidents.

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Every record we have

Full data for 845 California St apartments

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

Side by side

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

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