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540 Ofarrell St

Downtown, SF 94102 0318008 36 units · 6 fl · 1922

This building has more problems than most buildings in this 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 Downtown
At or below average
avg 6.9
0
FewerMore

This building has 0 novs (7y), at or below the Downtown average of 6.9.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 540 Ofarrell 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 1922
2 or more units
36 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.

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 1922
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
Units36
Floors6
Year built1922
Total area28,260 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot0318008
Ownership

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

Mailing address
119 17th Ave San Francisco CA 94121
Last sale
080902

Landlord portfolio

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

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Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

540 O'Farrell Street is a 6-story, 36-unit multi-family residential building constructed in 1922, currently owned by 540 O'Farrell Street LLC. The property has undergone significant maintenance and improvements in recent years, with the most recent major work being a flat roof re-roofing project completed in October 2024 at a cost of $30,434. A substantial fire alarm system upgrade was initiated in December 2023 to comply with San Francisco Fire Code requirements, following multiple fire alarm-related complaints and violations in 2024. The building has experienced recurring fire safety issues recently, with violations and complaints in 2024 relating to sprinkler systems, sleeping area requirements, and elevator operation, though some of these have been marked as "Condition Corrected" or "No Merit."

The property has undergone numerous unit renovations over the past decade, including multiple kitchen and bathroom remodeling projects in various units (101, 603, 401, 206, 405, and others) between 2013 and 2024, typically involving cabinet replacement, new appliances, and associated electrical and plumbing work. Notable infrastructure improvements include boiler replacements in 2018 and the recent fire alarm system upgrade. The building's maintenance history shows attention to both unit-specific improvements and building-wide systems, though recent fire safety compliance issues suggest ongoing challenges in these areas. While the building has experienced some historical plumbing issues, as evidenced by complaints in 2000-2001 regarding backup in multiple units, these appear to have been addressed. Recent 311 calls and complaints have primarily related to typical urban issues such as noise, parking, and street cleaning, rather than building-specific concerns.

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

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Risk rating

How 540 Ofarrell 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
26th percentile

Out of 448 buildings in this neighborhood, 332 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
10%
No DBI
violation
90%
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.

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 6.6%
Moderate concern 77.5%
Severe concern 15.9%
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

540 Ofarrell St event timeline

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

2026
Fire Complaint May 24
Sleeping Area Requirement
Violation Issued

See all 16 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 540 Ofarrell St apartments

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

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