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852-856 Fell St

Alamo Square, SF 94117 0822016 3 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 Alamo Square
Above average
avg 2.3
15
FewerMore

This building has 15 novs (7y), above the Alamo Square average of 2.3.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 852-856 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
3 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
RM1
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
Units3
Floors3
Year built1900
Total area6,870 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot0822016
Ownership

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

Owner name
Tapia Francisca
Mailing address
586 Munich St San Francisco CA 94112
Last sale
000000

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.

854 Fell St, San Francisco, CA 94117
856 Fell St, San Francisco, CA 94117
852 Fell St, San Francisco, CA 94117
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The three-unit residential building at 852-856 Fell Street in Alamo Square, owned by Francisca Tapia, is a 3-story flats and duplex structure constructed in 1900. The property has a significant history of maintenance issues and violations, particularly between 2018 and 2022, with recurring problems related to plumbing, electrical systems, and general building maintenance. Most recently, serious concerns have emerged in 2023 regarding fire safety, with multiple complaints about fire alarms going off daily in the bottom unit and an unpermitted makeshift kitchen with ventilation issues. These recent complaints, along with reports of rodents, have been documented between August and September 2023. The building had several significant repairs and code compliance issues between 2019-2022, including plumbing violations related to water heaters and general dilapidation issues that were addressed through permits totaling approximately $26,500. Earlier violations from 2014-2019 included problems with heating systems, exterior stairs, and various interior maintenance issues. The property has undergone multiple system upgrades over the years, including heater replacements in 2008, water heater improvements in 2019, and various building repairs through the years, though many of these were in response to violation notices. Historical data from 1994 through 2009 shows consistent maintenance work being performed, but the recent pattern of complaints suggests emerging safety concerns that require monitoring. The building's inspection history shows both regular maintenance and recurring issues, with some violations requiring multiple follow-ups before resolution.

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

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Risk rating

How 852-856 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
12th percentile

Out of 305 buildings in this neighborhood, 268 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
37%
No DBI
violation
63%
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.

Notices of Violation (past 7 years)

DBI issued Notices of Violation at this address over the last 7 years — a direct record of code enforcement activity.

NOV rate, owner's portfolio

Per-building NOV rate across everything this owner manages — high rates signal pattern neglect.

DBI tenant complaints (past 7 years)

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

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 8.2%
Moderate concern 62.8%
Severe concern 28.9%
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

852-856 Fell St event timeline

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

2023
DBI Complaint Sep 19
Date last observed: 06-aug-23; time last observed: constantly ; identity of person performing the work: unknown ; floor: 1st floor; unit: first floo; exact location: main bldg; building type: residence/dwelling fire safety/fire escape; insects/rodents; other electrical; other plumbing; ; additional information: multiple times daily the fire alarm goes off in the bottom unit. i¿m informed by the tenements that there is a makeshift kitchen without proper ventilation. although i¿m hesitant to report and possibly displace people, given the fact that the smoke alarm is going off multiple times a day i¿m becoming concerned that the makeshift kitchen is creating a risk of fire. after a long power outage the smoke all went off for a very long time. unlikely there are backup batteries in smoke alarm or they are long expired. rodents are also coming in and out of the building. mice. this is visible from the exterior. ;
Housing Inspection Services
DBI ComplaintAug 14
Date last observed: 06-aug-23; time last observed: constantly ; identity of person performing the work: unknown ; floor: 1st floor; unit: first floo; exact location: main bldg; building type: residence/dwelling fire safety/fire escape; insects/rodents; other electrical; other plumbing; ; additional information: multiple times daily the fire alarm goes off in the bottom unit. i’m informed by the tenements that there is a makeshift kitchen without proper ventilation. although i’m hesitant to report and possibly displace people, given the fact that the smoke alarm is going off multiple times a day i’m becoming concerned that the makeshift kitchen is creating a risk of fire. after a long power outage the smoke all went off for a very long time. unlikely there are backup batteries in smoke alarm or they are long expired. rodents are also coming in and out of the building. mice. this is visible from the exterior. ;

See all 12 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 852-856 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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