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819-821 Geary St

Downtown, SF 94109 0320022 9 units · 4 fl · 1921

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 819-821 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 1921
2 or more units
9 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
Units9
Floors4
Year built1921
Total area6,550 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot0320022
Ownership

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

Owner name
Cusing Mark E & Sophia S Re
Mailing address
Gaetani Real Estate 4444 Geary Blvd Ste 100 San Francisco CA 94118
Last sale
091919

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.

819 Geary St, San Francisco, CA 94109
821 Geary St, San Francisco, CA 94109
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The 4-story, 9-unit multi-family residential building at 819-821 Geary Street, constructed in 1921, has experienced numerous significant safety and maintenance issues in recent years, particularly regarding fire safety systems and compliance. Most notably, two fire safety violations remain open as of October 2023, including issues with sleeping area requirements and standpipe system maintenance. Recent work has been undertaken to upgrade the fire alarm system, including the installation of low-frequency sounders in sleeping areas to comply with San Francisco Fire Code requirements, with the most recent related work completed in April 2024 costing $25,300.

The building has a concerning history of fire safety violations and complaints in 2024, including issues with blocked exits, alarm systems, and sprinkler systems. Multiple active violations exist regarding various safety equipment maintenance requirements, including fire extinguishers, gas shutoff tools, and security gate permit compliance. The property has also experienced recurring problems with its elevator system, as evidenced by multiple fire complaints in January 2025 regarding non-functioning elevators. There have been several building complaints filed regarding unauthorized modifications and the installation of ATM equipment, with the most recent active violation from 2023 concerning an unpermitted security gate installation. Recent permits show some attention to maintenance issues, such as sidewalk work and roof repairs from previous decades, though many older permits have expired.

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

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Risk rating

How 819-821 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
45th percentile

Out of 448 buildings in this neighborhood, 246 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.

NOV rate, owner's portfolio

Per-building NOV rate across everything this owner manages — high rates signal pattern neglect.

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.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 7.4%
Moderate concern 71.7%
Severe concern 20.9%
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

819-821 Geary St event timeline

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

2026
311 Request Feb 03
Garbage and debris
furniture

See all 21 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 819-821 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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