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851 Ofarrell St

Tenderloin, SF 94109 0717016 27 units · 4 fl · 1908

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
4
FewerMore

This building has 4 novs (7y), at or below the Tenderloin average of 12.0.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 851 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 1908
2 or more units
27 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
Units27
Floors4
Year built1908
Total area13,280 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot0717016
Ownership

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

Owner name
Ofarrell Associates Llc
Mailing address
Pipi Inc 1201 Fulton St San Francisco CA 94117
Last sale
062498

Landlord portfolio

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

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Initial analysis

The 27-unit, four-story apartment building at 851 Ofarrell Street, owned by Ofarrell Associates LLC and constructed in 1908, is located in San Francisco's Tenderloin neighborhood. The property has undergone several significant modifications in recent years, including a voluntary seismic upgrade in 2019 costing $165,000, and the controversial addition of 4 ADUs at the ground level completed in 2018-2019, which required changes to the Olive Street façade. The building has a concerning history of maintenance and safety issues, with multiple active violations from 2017 including problems with fire safety systems, mold, spalling concrete, walls and ceiling repairs, elevator certification, and appliance issues. More recent issues include a creaking floor complaint from January 2025 and recurring fire safety violations, with the most recent violations in 2024 related to standpipes and maintenance of safeguards. The building's history shows notable plumbing and electrical work, including kitchen renovations in 2009 and common area improvements in 2017, along with various elevator and utility maintenance concerns. Security measures have been periodically addressed, with a new security front door installed in 1989.

The property has experienced several infrastructure challenges over the years, including a significant plumbing incident in 2014 involving hot water outages and leaks affecting multiple units, and various elevator malfunction complaints. Fire safety has been a persistent concern, with multiple violations and complaints regarding sprinkler systems, fire extinguishers, and blocked exits recorded between 2018 and 2024. The building has also experienced several emergency responses by fire services, primarily related to false alarms, carbon monoxide detector activations, and one gas leak incident, though fortunately none resulted in civilian injuries. Recent 311 calls from January 2025 indicate ongoing issues with building maintenance in the surrounding area, including reports of graffiti and garbage. The property's management has initiated various repairs and upgrades over the years, including addressing fire safety concerns through door repairs and fire sprinkler installations, though many violations from 2017 remain unresolved, with a director hearing scheduled in October 2019 for multiple active violations.

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

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Risk rating

How 851 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
70th percentile

Out of 172 buildings in this neighborhood, 52 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
20%
No DBI
violation
80%
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.

Neighborhood location

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

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 10.8%
Moderate concern 44.2%
Severe concern 45.1%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

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The story over time

851 Ofarrell St event timeline

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

2026
Fire Complaint May 26
Sleeping Area Requirement
Violation Issued

See all 14 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 851 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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