Free SF apartment background check

1940-1950 Ellis St

Western Addition, SF 94115 1100014 6 units · 3 fl · 1902

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 Western Addition
At or below average
avg 5.1
0
FewerMore

This building has 0 novs (7y), at or below the Western Addition average of 5.1.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 1940-1950 Ellis 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 1902
2 or more units
6 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
Units6
Floors3
Year built1902
Total area6,750 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot1100014
Ownership

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

Owner name
Grinsell Golden Gate Llc
Mailing address
1248 Noriega St San Francisco CA 94122
Last sale
021021

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.

1940 Ellis St, San Francisco, CA 94115
1942 Ellis St, San Francisco, CA 94115
1950 Ellis St, San Francisco, CA 94115
1946 Ellis St, San Francisco, CA 94115
1948 Ellis St, San Francisco, CA 94115
1944 Ellis St, San Francisco, CA 94115
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The 6-unit, 3-story multi-family residential building at 1940-1950 Ellis Street, owned by Grinsell Golden Gate LLC, has undergone several significant improvements since the early 2000s, with particular attention to safety upgrades. Most recently, in 2023, the building received a comprehensive fire alarm system upgrade costing $43,337 to meet San Francisco Fire Code requirements, including the installation of new smokes, horn/strobes, and other safety components in the non-sprinklered building. The property completed a mandatory soft-story retrofit in 2016 (approximately $48,000) to improve seismic safety, and underwent multiple bathroom and kitchen remodels between 2017 and 2021, totaling over $126,000 in improvements.

The building has experienced several safety inspections and maintenance issues over its history. In 2007, multiple building and fire code violations were documented, including problems with window latches, smoke enclosure doors, egress obstructions, and ventilation systems, though these were all abated by mid-2008. There have been recurring issues with the building's front door access system and various plumbing concerns, including a serious sewage overflow incident in 1997. More recently, two fire alarm-related complaints in 2022 and 2008 were resolved promptly. The property received routine safety inspections in 2010 and 2018, and while there have been numerous 311 calls regarding the property's immediate surroundings for debris and cleaning in late 2024, these appear to be street-related issues rather than building-specific problems.

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

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Risk rating

How 1940-1950 Ellis 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
44th percentile

Out of 167 buildings in this neighborhood, 94 are predicted to be safer.

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

Owner's portfolio size

Number of SF parcels this owner is registered on — larger portfolios have distinct risk patterns.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 59.2%
Moderate concern 25.3%
Severe concern 15.5%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

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The story over time

1940-1950 Ellis St event timeline

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

2025
311 Request Dec 06
Garbage and debris
furniture
311 RequestSep 22
Garbage and debris

See all 18 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 1940-1950 Ellis 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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