Free SF apartment background check

501-515 Russia Ave

Excelsior, SF 94112 6089018 13 units · 3 fl · 1927

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 Excelsior
At or below average
avg 1.4
0
FewerMore

This building has 0 novs (7y), at or below the Excelsior average of 1.4.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 501-515 Russia Ave 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 1927
2 or more units
13 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
RH2
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
Units13
Floors3
Year built1927
Total area10,156 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot6089018
Ownership

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

Owner name
Guido & Pierina Giosso Fmly
Mailing address
227 Concord St San Francisco CA 94112
Last sale
061511

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.

507 Russia Ave, San Francisco, CA 94112
515 Russia Ave, San Francisco, CA 94112
513 Russia Ave, San Francisco, CA 94112
509 Russia Ave, San Francisco, CA 94112
511 Russia Ave, San Francisco, CA 94112
503 Russia Ave, San Francisco, CA 94112
505 Russia Ave, San Francisco, CA 94112
501 Russia Ave, San Francisco, CA 94112
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The three-story, 13-unit multi-family residential building at 501-515 Russia Avenue in Excelsior, owned by Guido & Pierina Giosso Fmly, was constructed in 1927 and has undergone several significant inspections and maintenance procedures over its lifetime. Most notably, in 2018, the building faced multiple fire safety compliance issues that required attention to fire proofing and window glazing, leading to a construction permit for garage repairs. The building's history shows recurring attention to fire safety systems, with complaints about alarm systems, sprinklers, and fire escapes documented between 2005 and 2024, though recent fire system inspections in July 2024 were found to have "No Merit."

The property has undergone routine inspections by Housing Inspection Services since 1999, with the most recent comprehensive inspections occurring in 2018. Several violations were recorded and subsequently abated, including security and fire safety requirements such as self-closing doors, smoke detectors, and fire escape maintenance, all of which were addressed by May 2001. The building underwent a reroofing project in 2003, and while some maintenance issues have persisted, including window glazing repairs and general structural maintenance, most recent 311 calls from late 2024 have primarily concerned street-level garbage and debris rather than building specific issues. The property's compliance record shows prompt attention to violations, with a pattern of addressing safety concerns within reasonable timeframes, though the age of the building and history of fire safety complaints warrant attention to ongoing maintenance needs.

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

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Risk rating

How 501-515 Russia Ave'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
4th percentile

Out of 337 buildings in this neighborhood, 324 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
26%
No DBI
violation
74%
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.

NOV rate, owner's portfolio

Per-building NOV rate across everything this owner manages — high rates signal pattern neglect.

Number of units

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

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 16.3%
Moderate concern 42.2%
Severe concern 41.4%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

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The story over time

501-515 Russia Ave event timeline

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

2025
311 & DBI Complaint Nov 20
Building inspection
building inspection request for service
311 RequestApr 17
Sewage back-up discharge

See all 10 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 501-515 Russia Ave 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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