What Could Keep You Up at Night in a $700-a-Month San Francisco Sleeping Pod

The building featuring $700-a-month sleeping pods was hit with a notice of violation from the San Francisco Department of Building Inspection over the installation of its unusual sleeping setup, the San Francisco Examiner reported.

The four-foot-tall, twin sleeping pods, rented through Brownstone Shared Housing in the city's SoMa neighborhood, initially gained attention as tech workers curled up in them to avoid the city's pricey rental apartments, SFGate reported. Median monthly rent in San Francisco is currently $3,496, -- 70% higher than the national median, according to data from the online real estate marketplace Zillow. 

The notice of violation, issued by the Department of Building Inspection on Oct. 3, cited that the 30 "sleeping pods appeared to have been installed without permits." The addition of these pods "constitutes an illegal change of use" from the business occupancy the building had to a residential occupancy, the notice stated.

The notice also cited that one of the toilets in the building was replaced by a shower stall. "Not sure if there was any additional work done without permits," the complaint noted.

When locked, the front exit door needs a key in order to leave, "creating a life safety issue," the notice added.

The investigation requires the building to file a permit in 30 days to "legalize the installation of the sleeping pods" or get rid of them, obtain a permit in 60 days and complete the work in 90 days.

Renters can lease the pods on a month-to-month basis and receive access to furnished communal living space, Brownstone Shared Housing said.

“I was able to look into the case online, and it looks like it will require a simple discussion with the Buildings Department about our beds to confirm that we didn’t conduct any sort of construction work to install them,” James Stallworth, CEO of Brownstone, shared in a text with SFGate.

The Brownstone Shared Housing’s Palo Alto location was also hit with code violations, including a lack of smoke detectors in the sleeping pods, exposed wires and the illegal conversion of a garage, Palo Alto Online reported last year.

Brownstone Shared Housing and the San Francisco Department of Building Inspection did not immediately respond to The Messenger’s request for comment.