Free SF apartment background check

985-995 Ellis St

Van Ness/ Civic Center, SF 94109 0738020 54 units · 7 fl · 1931

This building has significantly more problems than most nearby buildings. 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 Van Ness/ Civic Center
At or below average
avg 6.7
4
FewerMore

This building has 4 novs (7y), at or below the Van Ness/ Civic Center average of 6.7.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 985-995 Ellis 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 1931
2 or more units
54 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
RM4
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 1931
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
Units54
Floors7
Year built1931
Total area50,480 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot0738020
Ownership

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

Owner name
Mailing address
Steven C. Thrower 1 Bush St Ste 900 San Francisco CA 94104
Last sale
051421

Landlord portfolio

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

Unlock complete report
Multiple entrances & addresses

Included addresses

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

950 Franklin St, San Francisco, CA 94109
985 Ellis St, San Francisco, CA 94109
995 Ellis St, San Francisco, CA 94109
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The 54-unit, 7-story apartment building at 985-995 Ellis Street, built in 1931 and currently owned by 950 B14 De LLC, has undergone significant recent improvements and faced multiple regulatory challenges. Most notably, the building is currently addressing multiple fire code violations as of November 2024, with issues related to the fire command center features and UL certification. Recent fire safety improvements include a filed permit from May 2024 to upgrade fire alarm systems to current codes with low-frequency sounders in sleeping areas. The building has completed numerous unit renovations between 2018 and 2024, including kitchen and bathroom rehabilitations, ADU conversions, and the installation of washer/dryer facilities in multiple units. Infrastructure improvements include a 2020 replacement of the domestic water service line and an EV charger installation in 2021.

The property has experienced several serious maintenance and management issues in recent years. A November 2022 complaint highlighted concerns about power outages and an allegedly uncommunicative management structure, while a 2021 complaint noted water damage and unauthorized work in unit #58. There have been multiple fire safety violations and complaints between 2021 and 2024, including issues with fire escape maintenance, alarm systems, and sleeping area requirements that remain open as of late 2023. The building's management has shown responsiveness to many maintenance issues, as evidenced by the prompt completion of various unit improvements and infrastructure upgrades. However, the recurring nature of fire safety violations and the timeline of some repairs and improvements suggest ongoing challenges with maintaining compliance across all building systems and regulations.

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

Free account unlocks the full analysis — plus 2× more records across all data categories and the complete landlord portfolio.
Risk rating

How 985-995 Ellis 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
15th percentile

Out of 85 buildings in this neighborhood, 72 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.

DBI tenant complaints (past 7 years)

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

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 6.3%
Moderate concern 85.9%
Severe concern 7.8%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

985-995 Ellis St apartment reviews

Real experiences from people who have lived here. Share yours to help other renters decide.

Share your experience — Help other renters by leaving an honest apartment review

Loading reviews…

On the map

Compare nearby alternatives

This building and nearby alternatives, color-coded by risk level. Click any marker to explore.

The story over time

985-995 Ellis St event timeline

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

2026
DBI Complaint Jul 08
Date last observed: 07-jul-26; time last observed: june10th; floor: 2; unit: 23; exact location: none of the above; building type: residence/dwelling mold; ; additional information: there is mold growing from water damage two months ago;
Housing Inspection Services
311 RequestJun 30
Abandoned vehicle

See all 36 events

Full history back to 2021 — violations, complaints, permits, buyouts, and fire incidents.

Unlock complete timeline
Every record we have

Full data for 985-995 Ellis St apartments

13 SF public datasets for this parcel — permits, violations, complaints, fire records, 311 calls, planning records, and buyouts.

Still apartment hunting in SF?

Look up the next apartment before you sign

Search any SF address free — no account needed to see the risk rating.

Simple pricing

Get the complete picture

Every plan unlocks the complete report: all 13 SF datasets, full history, landlord portfolio, and PDF & Excel exports.

Report Bundle

For the buildings you're deciding on right now

$10 one-time

~$3.33 per building. No subscription ever. Each credit unlocks one building's premium report for 30 days.

  • 3 full AI-powered reports
  • Download PDF reports
  • Advanced safety analysis
  • Compare multiple buildings
  • Credits never expire until you use them
  • Full public records (200 rows per dataset)
Buy 3 Reports — $10

Apartment Hunter

For a wide search across many buildings

$39 one-time

30 reports — ~$1.30 each. No subscription ever.

  • 30 full AI-powered reports
  • Download PDF reports
  • Advanced safety analysis
  • Compare multiple buildings
  • Credits never expire until you use them
  • Full public records (200 rows per dataset)
Buy 30 Reports — $39

Cancel anytime · Data sourced from SF Open Data, DBI, SFFD, SF Rent Board & Planning

Watch 985-995 Ellis St
Get alerted the moment a new violation or complaint is filed.