Free SF apartment background check

550 Fell St

Hayes Valley, SF 94102 0819009 15 units · 3 fl · 1900

This building has significantly more problems than most nearby buildings. A handful of unresolved issues. Worth a careful walk-through and pointed questions.

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 550 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
15 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.

Building characteristics
Units15
Floors3
Year built1900
Total area7,100 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot0819009
Ownership

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

Owner name
Dennis E Cox Living Tr
Mailing address
2036 Livingston St Oakland CA 94606
Last sale
062800

Landlord portfolio

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

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Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The 15-unit apartment building at 550 Fell Street in Hayes Valley, owned by Dennis E Cox Living Tr, is a three-story structure built in 1900 that has undergone several significant improvements over the past two decades. Most recently, in early 2024, the building received an upgrade to its fire alarm system, including the installation of new wireless low-frequency horns in sleeping areas to meet current safety codes, with associated electrical work completed successfully. The building underwent major renovations in 2000, including partial foundation replacement, lateral strength improvements, and a comprehensive remodel of kitchens and bathrooms costing $150,000. These updates were followed by re-roofing work completed in 2018, which cost $15,000.

The building's maintenance history shows attention to safety concerns, particularly regarding fire systems. Multiple fire-related violations have been addressed, including recent issues with sleeping area requirements (2024) and a fire alarm system violation (2023) that were corrected. Between 2006 and 2007, the building underwent a series of corrections to address various safety concerns, including fire escape maintenance, lighting improvements, fire extinguisher requirements, window repairs, and security upgrades. The property has been subject to regular routine safety inspections, with the most recent occurring in 2018. While there have been some complaints and violations over the years, many have been promptly addressed and abated, demonstrating ongoing maintenance efforts by the current management. The building's history shows particular attention to fire safety systems, with recurring updates and corrections to maintain compliance with current codes.

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

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Risk rating

How 550 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
16th percentile

Out of 1027 buildings in this neighborhood, 863 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
41%
No DBI
violation
59%
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 (ZIP code)

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

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 34.6%
Moderate concern 39.6%
Severe concern 25.7%
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

550 Fell St event timeline

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

2024
Fire Complaint Dec 27
Fire Escape
No Merit
Fire ComplaintDec 27
Sprinkler/Standpipe Systems

See all 7 events

Full history back to 2023 — violations, complaints, permits, buyouts, and fire incidents.

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Every record we have

Full data for 550 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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Cancel anytime · Data sourced from SF Open Data, DBI, SFFD, SF Rent Board & Planning

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