Free SF apartment background check

522 Fell St

Hayes Valley, SF 94102 0819005 6 units · 3 fl · 1900

This building has a higher-than-average number of open problems nearby. Few open issues; problems get fixed quickly. A reasonable bet for a smooth tenancy.

NOVs (7y) vs. neighborhood
Compared to a typical building in Hayes Valley
At or below average
avg 2.3
0
FewerMore

This building has 0 novs (7y), at or below the Hayes Valley average of 2.3.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 522 Fell 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 1900
2 or more units
6 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
RH3
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 1900
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
Units6
Floors3
Year built1900
Total area3,480 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot0819005
Ownership

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

Mailing address
Po Box 590533 San Francisco CA 94159
Last sale
032305

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.

522 Fell St, San Francisco, CA 94102
522 A Fell St, San Francisco, CA 94102
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The 522 Fell Street Apartments is a three-story, six-unit multi-family residential building constructed in 1900, currently managed by 522 Fell Street Apartments. The property has undergone several significant safety and infrastructure upgrades in recent years, most notably a comprehensive fire alarm system upgrade in August 2023 to meet current safety codes, including the installation of low-frequency sounders in sleeping areas. The building has seen substantial plumbing improvements in 2023, with completed sewer lateral and underground drain replacements, and electrical system enhancements including a 225A service upgrade in February 2020. Other notable improvements include a Unit #1 bathroom remodel in 2017, and historical structural maintenance work addressing dry rot on back decks (2016) and repairs to the brick foundation (2004).

The building has maintained an active record of compliance with safety inspections and required repairs. While there were several violations noted in a 2008 routine health and safety inspection related to egress obstruction, alarm system maintenance, and self-closing exterior doors, these issues were promptly addressed and abated by May 2008. The property has also undergone regular routine safety inspections in 1999, 2004, 2010, and 2018, all of which generated no persistent violations. Historical issues included a brief no-heat complaint in 2005 that was resolved within two days. Recent 311 calls have primarily concerned external matters such as street cleaning and parking issues, rather than building-specific concerns, while two fire incidents were recorded - a carbon monoxide incident and a false alarm, neither resulting in civilian injuries.

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

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Risk rating

How 522 Fell 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
57th percentile

Out of 1027 buildings in this neighborhood, 442 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
70%
No DBI
violation
30%
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 (ZIP code)

The ZIP code captures local housing market and enforcement patterns that affect all buildings in the area.

Building age

Older buildings tend to have more maintenance challenges; SF's pre-1906 earthquake housing stock carries distinct risk.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 44.7%
Moderate concern 23.0%
Severe concern 32.2%
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

522 Fell St event timeline

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

2026
311 Request Mar 22
Other excessive noise
Noise

See all 12 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 522 Fell St apartments

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

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