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790 Arkansas St

Potrero Hill, SF 94107 4162018 2 units · 2 fl · 1989

This building has significantly more problems than most nearby buildings. Few open issues; problems get fixed quickly. A reasonable bet for a smooth tenancy.

NOVs (7y) vs. neighborhood
Compared to a typical building in Potrero Hill
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 790 Arkansas 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 1989
2 or more units
2 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
RH2
Not rent-controlled. Buildings constructed after 1978 are generally exempt from SF rent increase limits under the Costa-Hawkins Act.

Based on SF Assessor records. Not legal advice — confirm with the SF Rent Board.

Building characteristics
Units2
Floors2
Year built1989
Total area3,672 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot4162018
Ownership

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

Owner name
Howell Roger
Mailing address
790 Arkansas St San Francisco CA 94107
Last sale
122006

Landlord portfolio

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

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Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The two-story, two-unit residential building at 790 Arkansas Street in Potrero Hill, owned by Roger Howell, was constructed in 1989 and has undergone significant renovations and improvements over the past few years. Most notably, between 2022 and 2024, the property has seen substantial upgrades including a comprehensive $170,000 renovation of the lower unit's basement space, structural modifications to the upper unit, and extensive remodeling of multiple bathrooms and kitchens across both units valued at $180,000. Recent HVAC improvements include furnace replacements for both units in 2023-2024. The building's maintenance record shows attention to safety features, with a sprinkler system installation noted in 1988 and recent electrical upgrades including new lighting, switches, and safety equipment.

The property has experienced some challenges during recent renovation work, including two construction-related complaints filed in 2022 and 2023 regarding unauthorized demolition work and construction dust affecting neighboring units. A fire code violation was issued in March 2020, though records indicate this was abated the same day. Historically, there was a brief incident in 2008 regarding an illegal unit in the garage, which was addressed within several months. The surrounding area has seen recurring issues with parking violations and toter management, as evidenced by multiple 311 calls between 2022 and 2024. Recent maintenance activities have generally been properly permitted and documented, with construction work primarily handled by Barragan Builders LLC according to planning records.

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

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Risk rating

How 790 Arkansas 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
15th percentile

Out of 726 buildings in this neighborhood, 617 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
54%
No DBI
violation
46%
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.

DBI tenant complaints (past 7 years)

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

Neighborhood (ZIP code)

The ZIP code captures local housing market and enforcement patterns that affect all buildings in the area.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 66.2%
Moderate concern 29.9%
Severe concern 3.9%
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

790 Arkansas St event timeline

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

2026
Building Permit Mar 31
Addressing permit only. assign 792 arkansas st to the upper-floor unit within the two-unit residential building. existing address 790 arkansas st refers to the lower-floor unit. link to parcel 4162-018.
$1 · Issued

See all 13 events

Full history back to 2022 — violations, complaints, permits, buyouts, and fire incidents.

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Every record we have

Full data for 790 Arkansas 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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