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2655 Polk St

Russian Hill, SF 94109 0502002 36 units · 6 fl · 1929

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 Russian Hill
At or below average
avg 1.9
1
FewerMore

This building has 1 novs (7y), at or below the Russian Hill average of 1.9.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 2655 Polk 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 1929
2 or more units
36 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
RM3
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 1929
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 built1929
Total area29,750 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot0502002
Ownership

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

Mailing address
Patrick O'donnell Po Box 320065 San Francisco CA 94132
Last sale
121996

Landlord portfolio

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

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Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The 36-unit, 6-story apartment building at 2655 Polk Street in Russian Hill, built in 1929, has experienced several significant maintenance and safety events over recent years. Most notably, there are current concerns about the building's structural and safety systems: an active complaint from February 2020 reports spalling concrete and exposed rebar at an egress stairway support column, and a recent violation from December 2023 related to sleeping area requirements has been issued. The building's fire safety systems have undergone multiple upgrades, with a recent $72,500 fire alarm system upgrade completed in August 2024 to comply with fire code requirements, and a related electrical modification in December 2023 upgrading devices and sounders. The building has also seen significant mechanical improvements, including a new steam boiler installation in September 2024 and the previous solar thermal installation in 2019 consisting of 16 panels with storage tanks reline.

The property has a history of addressing various maintenance and compliance issues, including stair landing repairs in 2022 to address exposed rebar, and previous boiler and plumbing upgrades in 2004 and 2008. Historical records show earlier violations in 2006 regarding unpermitted solar panel installation, though these were ultimately abated in 2007. Regular fire safety inspections have identified various issues over the years, including problems with sprinkler systems, extinguishers, and sleeping area requirements, though all have been marked as corrected. Recent 311 calls (from 2022 to 2025) primarily relate to street and sidewalk maintenance, parking violations, and general noise concerns, suggesting ongoing attention to exterior maintenance and neighborhood interactions.

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

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Risk rating

How 2655 Polk 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
2th percentile

Out of 1133 buildings in this neighborhood, 1110 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
13%
No DBI
violation
87%
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.

Neighborhood location

Precise location is a proxy for neighborhood-level risk — some SF blocks have systematically higher DBI activity.

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 8.4%
Moderate concern 70.5%
Severe concern 21.1%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

2655 Polk St apartment reviews

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The story over time

2655 Polk St event timeline

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

2025
Fire Complaint Oct 24
Multiple Fire Code Violations
Violation Issued
311 RequestAug 03
No parking

See all 15 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 2655 Polk 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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