TWO LANDLORDS in San Francisco’s Chinatown have agreed to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in penalties for repeated code violations related to health and safety at their properties. Another landlord agreed to a lesser financial penalty for similar allegations, the City Attorney’s Office said.
In total, City Attorney David Chiu said the three would pay $810,000 for violations related to shoddy plumbing, electrical code violations, and illegally adding units to their single room occupancy properties, known as SROs.
The stipulated injunction and judgement settles a lawsuit brought by the city in 2023 alleging the violations created a public nuisance, violated state housing laws, and stifled competition.
The SRO properties, which are used as hotels and for longer term tenancy, were primarily rented to Chinese immigrants who did not speak English, according to a release sent from the City Attorney’s Office.
The bulk of the stipulated judgement was levied against Jeff Appenrodt and Shailendra Devdhara for violations at their property at 1449 Powell St. The two and their associated limited liability corporations agreed to $780,000 in penalties, Chiu’s office said.
Another landlord, Kamlesh Patel, agreed to pay $30,000 for unresolved violations at 790 Vallejo St. and 912 Jackson St., both of which he purchased in 2023.
The three were connected through various ownership configurations of the properties and through ownership of five different LLCs, according to the City Attorney’s Office. Legal representatives for the three did not immediately return requests for comment.
The properties racked up numerous code violations starting in 2018, including exposed electrical wiring, rusty pipes, rat and insect infestations, mold and mildew, unsanitary shared restrooms and broken appliances.
Other violations that posed safety risks included a lack of smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, seismic deficiencies, inadequate emergency exits, lead paint exposure, and other allegations of dilapidation.
The agreement requires the landlords to fix the violations by April 21 or face further penalties.
‘Let this be a lesson’
Chiu said the settlement should serve as a deterrent to other landlords who charge rent while letting violations go unaddressed.
“Let this be a lesson to all landlords who profit off of the suffering of their tenants,” Chiu said in a statement released by his office. “In San Francisco, there are consequences for depriving tenants of a safe and healthy place to live. I’m proud our collective actions held the owners accountable and addressed the many issues at the properties.”
Malcolm Yeung, the executive director of Chinatown Community Development Center, a neighborhood advocacy group and affordable housing developer, said the settlement was an important case of immigrants standing up for tenants’ rights that will benefit the entire city’s population of renters. He said it was more important than ever to highlight the contributions immigrants make to the community.
“This case is a great example of monolingual Chinese immigrant tenants standing up for their right to live in safe and habitable housing, and highlights the importance of the Department of Building Inspection’s Code Enforcement Outreach Program (CEOP),” Yeung said.
The CEOP is designed to expedite the code enforcement process and works with landlords and tenants to inform them of their rights and obligations, with a priority of reaching residents and owners who speak limited English.