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898 Fell St

Alamo Square, SF 94117 0822021 4 units · 2 fl · 1904

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 Alamo Square
At or below average
avg 2.3
0
FewerMore

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

Rent & eviction protection

Is 898 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 1904
2 or more units
4 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
Units4
Floors2
Year built1904
Total area5,116 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusHome Owners
Blocklot0822021
Ownership

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

Owner name
Emerson E & Janet L Staffor
Mailing address
Stafford Emerson E & Janet 898 Fell St San Francisco CA 94117
Last sale
120314

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.

898 Fell St, San Francisco, CA 94117
600 Steiner St, San Francisco, CA 94117
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The 4-unit, 2-story multi-family residential building at 898 Fell Street in Alamo Square, owned by Emerson E & Janet L Staffor, was constructed in 1904 and has undergone several significant maintenance projects over its lifetime. The building has a documented history of safety and maintenance inspections between 2003 and 2017, with notable violations recorded in 2008 and 2011 relating to building safety features such as stairs, fire escapes, handrails, and fire extinguishers. These violations were all abated by April 2011. The property has received multiple roof interventions, including a $12,000 reroofing project in 2006 and earlier work in 1990-1991.

More recent infrastructure work includes sewer repairs completed in 2015. The building has experienced several unintentional fire alarm activations, most recently in 2021, though none resulted in any injuries or actual fires. The property is located in a historic district, and there have been approved exterior alterations to maintain its historical character. Recent maintenance history shows regular attention to basic infrastructure, though there have been recurring issues with parking enforcement and street cleaning in the immediate vicinity, as evidenced by multiple 311 calls between 2023 and 2024.

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

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Risk rating

How 898 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
63th percentile

Out of 305 buildings in this neighborhood, 113 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
73%
No DBI
violation
27%
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.

Estimated permit spend (past 7 years)

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

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 58.2%
Moderate concern 18.6%
Severe concern 23.2%
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

898 Fell St event timeline

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

2025
311 Request Dec 22
Garbage and debris
furniture
311 RequestDec 12
Sewer odor

See all 4 events

Full history back to 2024 — violations, complaints, permits, buyouts, and fire incidents.

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Every record we have

Full data for 898 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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