Free SF apartment background check

477 Ofarrell St

Tenderloin, SF 94102 0324024 101 units · 12 fl · 1986

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 Tenderloin
At or below average
avg 12.0
6
FewerMore

This building has 6 novs (7y), at or below the Tenderloin average of 12.0.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 477 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 1986
2 or more units
101 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
RC4
Not rent-controlled. Buildings constructed after 1978 are generally exempt from SF rent increase limits under the Costa-Hawkins Act.

Based on SF Assessor records. Not legal advice — confirm with the SF Rent Board.

Building characteristics
Units101
Floors12
Year built1986
Total area85,000 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot0324024
Ownership

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

Owner name
O'Farrell Towers Assocs Lp
Mailing address
201 Eddy St San Francisco CA 94102
Last sale
062321

Landlord portfolio

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

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Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

O'Farrell Towers, located at 477 O'Farrell Street in San Francisco's Tenderloin neighborhood, is a 12-story, 101-unit multi-family residential building constructed in 1986 and currently owned by O'Farrell Towers Associates LP. The property has undergone numerous significant safety and infrastructure upgrades in recent years, including the installation of an emergency responder radio coverage system (2019), fire alarm system improvements across all floors (2019), and replacement of corroded sprinkler piping in the fire pump room (2020). More recent work includes electrical upgrades in 2024 with the installation of new 200-amp panels and maintenance of emergency systems. The building has experienced some recurring fire safety issues, with multiple violations and complaints recorded between 2013 and 2024, including recent violations in October 2023 regarding sleeping area requirements and December 2024 concerning sprinkler system compliance. Additionally, there were heating and hot water supply problems reported in 2022 that were subsequently addressed.

The property has a history of permit-related issues, particularly concerning boiler operation permits in 2016, which took several months to resolve. During 2016-2017, there were multiple building violations related to interior surfaces that were addressed. Recent infrastructure improvements have included backflow device replacements for the hydronic heating boiler and fire bypass systems in 2022, as well as substantial common area renovations in 2017. The building has experienced typical urban challenges in the surrounding area, with numerous 311 calls in early 2025 regarding street cleaning and debris removal, particularly in relation to reports of abandoned furniture and waste. While the property has maintained active compliance with most building codes through ongoing maintenance and upgrades, the persistent nature of some fire safety violations and infrastructure issues suggests a continued need for vigilant facility management.

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

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Risk rating

How 477 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
34th percentile

Out of 172 buildings in this neighborhood, 114 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
9%
No DBI
violation
91%
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.

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 62.4%
Severe concern 31.0%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

477 Ofarrell St apartment reviews

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The story over time

477 Ofarrell St event timeline

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

2026
Fire Complaint May 11
Alarm Systems
No Merit
311 RequestMay 05
Blocked sidewalk

See all 26 events

Full history back to 2020 — violations, complaints, permits, buyouts, and fire incidents.

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Every record we have

Full data for 477 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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