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835-839 Geary St

Downtown, SF 94109 0320020 41 units · 6 fl · 1923

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 Downtown
Above average
avg 6.9
16
FewerMore

This building has 16 novs (7y), above the Downtown average of 6.9.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 835-839 Geary 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 1923
2 or more units
41 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
Units41
Floors6
Year built1923
Total area30,690 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot0320020
Ownership

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

Owner name
Francesca Apartments Lp
Mailing address
Russell B Flynn, Managing P 1717 Powell St Ste 300 San Francisco CA 94133
Last sale
021716

Landlord portfolio

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

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Multiple entrances & addresses

Included addresses

All street addresses sharing this blocklot that are covered by this report.

839 Geary St, San Francisco, CA 94109
837 Geary St, San Francisco, CA 94109
835 Geary St, San Francisco, CA 94109
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The Francesca Apartments, a 6-story multi-family residential building located at 837-839 Geary Street, was constructed in 1923 and contains 41 units. Recent months have seen significant occupancy and infrastructure concerns, with multiple complaints in late 2024 reporting rotting garbage, vermin infestation, and exposed electrical wiring in the basement. These issues coincide with numerous recent permit activities, including fire alarm system upgrades and water heater replacements, though a December 2024 fire violation related to standpipe systems was issued. The building has undergone several modernization efforts, including accessibility improvements to the ground floor, retail storefront replacement, and extensive fire alarm system upgrades in 2022-2024 to replace existing bells with horn strobes and add low-frequency sounders. There have been recurring boiler permit compliance issues, with violations filed in 2005 and more recently in 2023, though these appear to have been abated. Historical records indicate various unit renovations between 2014-2018, including remodels of apartments 201, 207, 301, and 507, along with significant system upgrades including the installation of new fire sprinkler heads in 2015 and boiler replacements in 2016. The building's maintenance history shows a pattern of addressing life safety systems, though recent complaints suggest ongoing challenges with building cleanliness and maintenance.

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

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Risk rating

How 835-839 Geary 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
8th percentile

Out of 448 buildings in this neighborhood, 412 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
6%
No DBI
violation
94%
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.

DBI tenant complaints (past 7 years)

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

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 5.0%
Moderate concern 34.1%
Severe concern 60.9%
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

835-839 Geary St event timeline

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

2026
DBI Complaint Jun 15
Front door is not locking, management is not giving a new key to lock front door, also needs a mail room key.
Housing Inspection Services
Building Violation (NOV)Apr 20
Building violation

See all 27 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 835-839 Geary 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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