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970 Chestnut St

Russian Hill, SF 94109 0048016 13 units · 3 fl · 1914

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 Russian Hill
Above average
avg 1.9
85
FewerMore

This building has 85 novs (7y), above the Russian Hill average of 1.9.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 970 Chestnut 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 1914
2 or more units
13 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
RH1D
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 built1914
Total area17,782 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot0048016
Ownership

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

Owner name
970 Chestnut Views Llc
Mailing address
530 Divisadero St # 350 San Francisco CA 94117
Last sale
030519

Landlord portfolio

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

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Augrented Insights
AI summary

970 Chestnut Street is a 3-story multi-family residential building constructed in 1914, currently managed by 970 Chestnut Views LLC, containing 13 units with a documented Tier 3 soft story retrofit completion. The property has undergone significant improvements recently, particularly in 2023-2024, with major fire safety upgrades including the installation of a building-wide fire sprinkler system, fire alarm system upgrades, and fire escape modifications. Substantial rehabilitation work was completed in 2023, including the installation of 18 new front windows, bathroom and kitchen renovations in multiple units, and the addition of five new ground-floor ADUs with associated utility upgrades. The building experienced several construction-related complaints in 2023-2024, including issues with dust, debris, and unauthorized work, though these were generally addressed promptly.

Historical records show a series of fire safety-related complaints and violations, particularly regarding blocked exits and sprinkler systems, though recent inspections indicate these issues have been largely resolved. The property has undergone multiple tenant buyouts between 2020-2022, suggesting significant turnover during this period. Recent maintenance issues include a broken kitchen window reported in February 2024, which was resolved by June 2024. There have been scattered complaints about various building systems and conditions, including heating, plumbing, and electrical issues, but most recent permits and inspections indicate ongoing improvements to building infrastructure and systems. The building's recent history shows concentrated efforts to improve safety systems, particularly fire safety, though there have been occasional issues with construction management and tenant comfort during the upgrade period.

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Risk rating

How 970 Chestnut 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
0th percentile

Out of 1133 buildings in this neighborhood, 1133 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
9%
No DBI
violation
91%
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.

Notices of Violation (past 7 years)

DBI issued Notices of Violation at this address over the last 7 years — a direct record of code enforcement activity.

Number of units

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

Building size

Total floor area — a proxy for building scale and the number of systems (plumbing, electrical, HVAC) that can fail.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 8.7%
Moderate concern 58.8%
Severe concern 32.5%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

970 Chestnut St apartment reviews

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The story over time

970 Chestnut St event timeline

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

2026
Planning Record Feb 17
Request for zoning verification letter
Closed - Issued

See all 37 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 970 Chestnut 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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