Free SF apartment background check

501-507 Fell St

Hayes Valley, SF 94102 0830001 4 units · 2 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
Above average
avg 2.3
5
FewerMore

This building has 5 novs (7y), above the Hayes Valley average of 2.3.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 501-507 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
4 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
Units4
Floors2
Year built1900
Total area5,238 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot0830001
Ownership

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

Owner name
Wai John E 1981 Lvg Trust
Mailing address
Po Box 641045 San Francisco CA 94164
Last sale
052407

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.

421 Laguna St, San Francisco, CA 94102
423 Laguna St, San Francisco, CA 94102
501 Fell St, San Francisco, CA 94102
507 Fell St, San Francisco, CA 94102
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The property at 501-507 Fell Street is a two-story multi-family residential building with retail space, containing 4 units and built in 1900, currently owned by the Wai John E 1981 Living Trust. The building has experienced several significant issues in recent years, most notably concerning vacancy and security concerns. There are active complaints from 2018-2019 regarding the property being vacant with reports of unauthorized access by squatters and concerns about potential fire hazards. In early 2023, complaints were filed about the building becoming a target for graffiti and experiencing disrepair following a vacated business, with particular concerns about a garage used for storage.

The building's maintenance history shows a mix of regular upkeep and response to violations. Between 2005 and 2022, various permits were filed for renovations and repairs, including significant tenant improvements in 2016 that involved substantial interior modifications across multiple floors, and in 2022 for ground floor improvements including new gas lines and hoods. The property has faced multiple code enforcement actions, notably a period of violations between 2005-2011 related to fire safety, accessibility, and lead paint concerns, though most of these appear to have been addressed. There have been some building safety incidents recorded, including one confirmed building fire (cause unintentional, with no civilian injuries) and multiple false alarms. Recent 311 calls from late 2024 indicate ongoing issues with the property's exterior maintenance and surrounding area conditions, including reports of encampments and debris, though these are primarily related to the public space rather than the building itself.

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

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Risk rating

How 501-507 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
19th percentile

Out of 1027 buildings in this neighborhood, 832 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
44%
No DBI
violation
56%
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.

DBI tenant complaints (past 7 years)

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

Number of units

The number of units affects how the model reads complaint and violation totals — more units means more potential sources.

Property class: apartment building

Apartment building — this property classification influences expected violation rates.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 31.6%
Moderate concern 54.2%
Severe concern 14.2%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
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The story over time

501-507 Fell St event timeline

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

2026
311 Request Jun 16
Homelessness and supportive housing
housing homeless request for service
311 RequestMay 17
Encampment

See all 26 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 501-507 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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