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145 Fell St

Van Ness/ Civic Center, SF 94102 0834018 41 units · 5 fl · 1907

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 Van Ness/ Civic Center
Above average
avg 6.7
22
FewerMore

This building has 22 novs (7y), above the Van Ness/ Civic Center average of 6.7.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 145 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 1907
2 or more units
41 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
C3G
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
Units41
Floors5
Year built1907
Total area18,780 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot0834018
Ownership

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

Owner name
Sf Multifamily Iii Property
Mailing address
Ballast Investments 49 Powell St Fl 4 San Francisco CA 94102
Last sale
031519

Landlord portfolio

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

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Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The 41-unit, 5-story multi-family residential building at 145 Fell Street, known as the Opera Hotel, was constructed in 1907 and is currently owned by SF Multifamily III Property. The building has undergone several significant improvements over the past few years, including a fire alarm replacement system installation in 2023 to comply with SFFD regulations, and multiple unit renovations such as the bathroom rehabilitation in 2020 (complaint #201970821) and a complete remodel of Unit 204 in 2022 including kitchen and bathroom updates with new plumbing fixtures. The property has faced recurring water-related issues, particularly during 2023-2024, with multiple complaints about ceiling leaks and water intrusion affecting units on the first and fifth floors, though these issues were generally addressed within several months.

The building has experienced various maintenance and safety challenges, particularly relating to fire safety systems. Multiple fire code violations were documented between 2019 and 2023, including issues with sprinkler/standpipe systems, alarm systems, and sleeping area requirements, with some violations still showing as open in 2023. The property has undergone significant infrastructure improvements, such as the replacement of solar thermal systems in 2013, kitchen and bathroom remodels in multiple units, and the installation of new fire safety equipment. Historical data shows attention to both interior and exterior maintenance, including facade inspection requirements. While the building has faced various maintenance challenges, many issues have been systematically addressed through permits and repairs, though some recent violations related to fire safety systems remain open as of early 2024. The most recent tenant buyout recorded was in November 2018 for $21,209.76.

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

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Risk rating

How 145 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
5th percentile

Out of 85 buildings in this neighborhood, 81 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
6%
No DBI
violation
94%
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.

Building size

Total floor area — a proxy for building scale and the number of systems (plumbing, electrical, HVAC) that can fail.

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.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 2.3%
Moderate concern 93.3%
Severe concern 4.4%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

145 Fell St apartment reviews

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The story over time

145 Fell St event timeline

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

2026
Building Violation (NOV) Jan 07 Serious
Building violation
145 fell first floor bathroom.
Building Violation (NOV)Jan 07
Building violation

See all 30 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 145 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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