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656 Ofarrell St

Downtown, SF 94109 0319013 17 units · 4 fl · 1916

This building has a higher-than-average number of open problems nearby. 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
Above average
avg 6.9
9
FewerMore

This building has 9 novs (7y), above the Downtown average of 6.9.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 656 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 1916
2 or more units
17 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
Units17
Floors4
Year built1916
Total area13,524 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot0319013
Ownership

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

Owner name
Boschetti Giampaolo
Mailing address
955 Prague St San Francisco CA 94112
Last sale
113001

Landlord portfolio

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

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Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The 17-unit, 4-story apartment building at 656 Ofarrell Street, owned by Boschetti Giampaolo and dating from 1916, has experienced several significant safety and maintenance issues in recent years. Most notably, the building suffered fire damage in March 2023 affecting unit 401, with subsequent drywall, cabinet, and flooring repairs permitted at a cost of $150,000 in September 2023. More recently, between December 2024 and January 2025, there have been active complaints regarding smoke/carbon monoxide detector compliance, fire escape maintenance, and storage issues, as well as concerns about the building's exterior conditions including broken windows with glass falling onto sidewalks. The building has a documented history of fire safety system challenges, with multiple violations issued in 2024 related to sprinkler systems, standpipes, and alarm systems, though some have been resolved through proper maintenance. A significant renovation to the fire alarm system was initiated in late 2024, with permits showing work to comply with current fire code requirements and install low-frequency sounders in sleeping areas.

The property has undergone several important infrastructure updates over its lifetime, including seismic retrofitting in 1996 (completed at a cost of $84,000) and the installation of a new steam boiler in 2011. Historical data shows various maintenance issues have been addressed over time, including a notable series of building violations in 2016 that required attention to fire safety, building safety, and sanitation concerns, though these were abated by December 2016. More recent 311 calls indicate ongoing challenges with graffiti and encampments near the property, with multiple reports between late 2024 and early 2025, though many of these cases were unable to be resolved or documented properly.

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

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Risk rating

How 656 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
57th percentile

Out of 448 buildings in this neighborhood, 193 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
21%
No DBI
violation
79%
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.

DBI tenant complaints (past 7 years)

Formal complaints tenants filed with DBI about this building over 7 years.

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 6.6%
Moderate concern 81.6%
Severe concern 11.8%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

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The story over time

656 Ofarrell St event timeline

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

2026
311 Request Apr 07
Garbage and debris
other bagged boxed contained garbage
311 RequestFeb 26
Garbage and debris

See all 25 events

Full history back to 2022 — violations, complaints, permits, buyouts, and fire incidents.

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Every record we have

Full data for 656 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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Cancel anytime · Data sourced from SF Open Data, DBI, SFFD, SF Rent Board & Planning

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