Free SF apartment background check

874 Fell St

Alamo Square, SF 94117 0822019 8 units · 2 fl · 1900

This building has far more open problems than almost any other in the neighborhood. 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 Alamo Square
Above average
avg 2.3
32
FewerMore

This building has 32 novs (7y), above the Alamo Square average of 2.3.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 874 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
8 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
Units8
Floors2
Year built1900
Total area4,564 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot0822019
Ownership

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

Owner name
Roussel Eric
Mailing address
874 Fell St San Francisco CA 94117
Last sale
080106

Landlord portfolio

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

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Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

874 Fell Street is an 8-unit, 2-story multi-family residential building constructed in 1900, currently owned by Eric Roussel. The property has undergone numerous modifications and faced several compliance issues over recent years, with the most significant recent developments occurring in 2024. Notable recent projects include stair removal at the rear of the building (completed February 2024), multiple foundation and soft-story improvements completed in 2022, and ongoing discussions about ADU conversions. The building has experienced recurring fire safety issues, with violations regarding extinguishers, alarms, and exit maintenance noted between 2016-2023, though most have been corrected. Multiple housing compliance issues emerged in mid-2024, including unauthorized plumbing installations, general maintenance concerns, and safety violations such as window repairs, fire escape maintenance, and smoke detector requirements, though these were abated by October 2024.

Historical concerns include a significant flood incident in 2018, foundation complaints in 2022, and ongoing questions about unit legality and occupancy levels. The building achieved soft-story compliance under Tier 3 requirements, representing a major seismic safety improvement. Recent complaints indicate some ongoing issues with noise and compliance matters, including unauthorized short-term rentals that have been previously documented. The property has also seen various maintenance issues addressed through permits, including plumbing repairs in 2024 and multiple stair-related projects. While many historical safety and compliance issues have been resolved, the building's maintenance history shows periodic challenges with both fire safety systems and general building upkeep.

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

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Risk rating

How 874 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
7th percentile

Out of 305 buildings in this neighborhood, 284 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
23%
No DBI
violation
77%
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.

DBI tenant complaints (past 7 years)

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

Estimated permit spend (past 7 years)

Dollar value of permits pulled at this address — large recent spend can signal deferred-maintenance catch-up.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 11.2%
Moderate concern 20.3%
Severe concern 68.5%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

874 Fell St apartment reviews

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The story over time

874 Fell St event timeline

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

2026
Building Violation (NOV) Mar 04
Building violation
Repair sink to good working condition with approved materials in an approved manner.
Building Violation (NOV)Mar 04
Building violation

See all 28 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 874 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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