Free SF apartment background check

898 Carolina St

Potrero Hill, SF 94107 4096032 3 units · 3 fl · 1906

A handful of records on file over the last seven years, and our model sees a moderate chance of more in the next 12 months. A few records worth reading before you sign. Check whether they were closed out, and ask what was actually fixed.

NOVs (7y) vs. neighborhood
Records already on file, against a typical building in Potrero Hill — not a forecast
At or below average
avg 1.1
0
FewerMore

This building has 0 novs (7y), at or below the Potrero Hill average of 1.1.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 898 Carolina 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 1906
2 or more units
3 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.

Statewide backstop · AB 1482

California Tenant Protection Act of 2019

Even when a building isn't covered by local rent stabilization, the statewide Tenant Protection Act (AB 1482) may still apply. It caps annual rent increases and requires the landlord to state a legal reason to end most tenancies.

15+ years since occupancy
Built 1906
Annual rent increase cap
5% + CPI, max 10%
Just-cause eviction
After 12 months
Local rent control likely takes priority. This building appears to fall under the local ordinance above, which is stronger than AB 1482. Where a local just-cause ordinance applies, its rules govern instead of the state cap.

AB 1482 does not apply to single-family homes and condos unless owned by a corporation, REIT, or an LLC with a corporate member; to owner-occupied duplexes; or to deed-restricted affordable housing. The Act is in effect until January 1, 2030. Not legal advice — see the California landlord–tenant guide.

Building characteristics
Units3
Floors3
Year built1906
Total area3,537 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot4096032
Ownership

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

Mailing address
Neill Sullivan, Trustee 1566 19Th St San Francisco CA 94107
Last sale
June 08, 2017

Landlord portfolio

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

Unlock complete report
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The property at 898 Carolina Street in Potrero Hill is a three-story multi-family residential building constructed in 1906, currently owned by the Neill Sullivan Trust. The building has undergone numerous significant improvements over recent years, with the most substantial work occurring between 2017-2020, including a major renovation in 2017 that involved raising the roof height to create additional habitable space, followed by comprehensive interior remodeling in 2020 that added an extra bedroom. The building's safety systems were substantially upgraded in 2020 with the installation of new fire sprinkler systems, including both domestic and 13D systems with 39 new pendant sprinklers, demonstrating compliance with modern safety standards.

Recent improvements to the property include the installation of a mini-split system (July 2024), electrical work for two A/C units (August 2024), and a new garage door (2022). The building has also received important infrastructure upgrades, such as upper lateral sewer replacement (2022) and the installation of a combination boiler for domestic hot water and radiant floor heating (2020). While there have been several complaints during construction in 2020 regarding noise and safety issues, these appear to have been addressed. The property has maintained compliance with building codes and regulations, with all significant permits marked as complete, though there was one active construction-related complaint in 2020 about a generator running at the site. Recent 311 calls have primarily concerned external issues such as graffiti and street cleaning, rather than building-specific problems.

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

Free account unlocks the full analysis — plus 2× more records across all data categories and the complete landlord portfolio.
Risk rating

How 898 Carolina 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

Lower risk — safer than most nearby

DBI rarely finds violations here. Strong maintenance history and a clean complaint record.

Typical — about average for the neighborhood

Some past violations or complaints on record. Worth asking the landlord about any open issues before signing.

Higher risk — riskier than most nearby

Elevated violation and complaint history. DBI has found issues here before and is statistically likely to again.

Neighborhood percentile
35thpercentile

Out of 726 buildings in this neighborhood, 472 are predicted to be safer. The band is relative to this neighborhood, so a share of every neighborhood falls in each colour.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
67%
No DBI
violation
33%
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.

Neighborhood location

Precise location is a proxy for neighborhood-level risk — some SF blocks have systematically higher DBI activity.

Neighborhood location

Precise location is a proxy for neighborhood-level risk — some SF blocks have systematically higher DBI activity.

DBI complaint rate, owner's portfolio

Per-building complaint rate across the owner's portfolio.

12-Month risk forecast
Moderate failure risk 33%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

898 Carolina St apartment reviews

Real experiences from people who have lived here. Share yours to help other renters decide.

Share your experience — Help other renters by leaving an honest apartment review

Loading reviews…

On the map

Compare nearby alternatives

This building and nearby alternatives, color-coded by risk level. Click any marker to explore.

The story over time

898 Carolina St event timeline

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

2025
Electrical Permit May 15
Add 6-8 plugs on primary closet
Issued

See all 20 events

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

Unlock complete timeline
Every record we have

Full data for 898 Carolina St apartments

13 SF public datasets for this parcel — permits, violations, complaints, fire records, 311 calls, planning records, and buyouts.

Side by side

How 898 Carolina St compares to the neighborhood

This building against comparable properties in Potrero Hill. Toggle filters to narrow the peer group.

Loading comparables…
Still apartment hunting in SF?

Look up the next apartment before you sign

Search any SF address free — no account needed to see the risk rating.

Simple pricing

Get the complete picture

Every plan unlocks the complete report: all 13 SF datasets, full history, landlord portfolio, and PDF & Excel exports.

Pay once

Report Bundle

For the buildings you're deciding on right now

$10one time

3premium reports

$3.33 per report · charged once, never renews

Each credit unlocks one building's premium report for 30 days.

  • 3 premium reports — AI executive summary included
  • Live data across all 27 public record types
  • 200 records per dataset
  • PDF & Excel exports included
  • Compare up to 10 buildings side-by-side
  • Credits never expire until you use them
Pay once

Apartment Hunter

For a wide search across many buildings

$39one time

30premium reports

$1.30 per report · charged once, never renews

Each credit unlocks one building's premium report for 30 days.

  • 30 premium reports — AI executive summary included
  • Live data across all 27 public record types
  • 200 records per dataset
  • PDF & Excel exports included
  • Compare up to 10 buildings side-by-side
  • Credits never expire until you use them

Cancel anytime · Data sourced from SF Open Data, DBI, SFFD, SF Rent Board & Planning

Watch 898 Carolina St
Get alerted the moment a new violation or complaint is filed.