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31-43 Houston St

Russian Hill, SF 94133 0050006A 6 units · 2 fl · 1906

This building has more problems than most buildings in this neighborhood. A handful of unresolved issues. Worth a careful walk-through and pointed questions.

NOVs (7y) vs. neighborhood
Compared to a typical building in Russian Hill
At or below average
avg 1.9
1
FewerMore

This building has 1 novs (7y), at or below the Russian Hill average of 1.9.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 31-43 Houston 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 1906
2 or more units
6 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
RM1
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.

Statewide backstop · AB 1482

California Tenant Protection Act of 2019

Even when a building isn't covered by local rent stabilization, the statewide Tenant Protection Act (AB 1482) may still apply. It caps annual rent increases and requires the landlord to state a legal reason to end most tenancies.

15+ years since occupancy
Built 1906
Annual rent increase cap
5% + CPI, max 10%
Just-cause eviction
After 12 months
Local rent control likely takes priority. This building appears to fall under the local ordinance above, which is stronger than AB 1482. Where a local just-cause ordinance applies, its rules govern instead of the state cap.

AB 1482 does not apply to single-family homes and condos unless owned by a corporation, REIT, or an LLC with a corporate member; to owner-occupied duplexes; or to deed-restricted affordable housing. The Act is in effect until January 1, 2030. Not legal advice — see the California landlord–tenant guide.

Building characteristics
Units6
Floors2
Year built1906
Total area4,630 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot0050006A
Ownership

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

Mailing address
1780 9th Ave San Francisco CA 94122
Last sale
011019

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.

39 Houston St, San Francisco, CA 94133
37 Houston St, San Francisco, CA 94133
41 Houston St, San Francisco, CA 94133
35 Houston St, San Francisco, CA 94133
31 Houston St, San Francisco, CA 94133
33 Houston St, San Francisco, CA 94133
43 Houston St, San Francisco, CA 94133
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The property at 31-43 Houston St in San Francisco's Russian Hill neighborhood is a two-story, six-unit residential building constructed in 1906. The building is currently owned by Boon Capp Holdings LLC and has a significant record of recent issues that merit attention. Most critically, there is an active violation regarding non-compliance with the mandatory soft-story retrofit program, dating back to 2020, indicating failure to complete required earthquake safety improvements and associated inspections. In late 2023, complaints were filed regarding unauthorized construction work, including concrete pouring, illegal street blockage, and parking issues, suggesting ongoing maintenance and compliance challenges. Additionally, there have been concerns about an unauthorized outdoor gym setup on the roof in 2021, affecting neighboring residents' privacy and safety, though this complaint is no longer active.

The building's permit history shows attempts to address some of these issues, with permits issued in 2020 and 2021, including one for converting garage and storage areas into new units, potentially increasing total units to nine. A fire incident related to smoke or odor removal was reported in May 2023, though fortunately, no civilian injuries or fatalities were recorded. The property has generated multiple 311 service requests in recent months, primarily related to parking issues, though many were duplicate complaints or unresolved cases. The building's history shows a pattern of regulatory non-compliance and resident concerns, particularly regarding safety and building modifications, with the most pressing issue being the unresolved soft-story retrofit violation and associated penalties, including monthly monitoring fees and an earthquake warning placard requirement.

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

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Risk rating

How 31-43 Houston 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
21th percentile

Out of 1133 buildings in this neighborhood, 895 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
42%
No DBI
violation
58%
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.

DBI tenant complaints (past 7 years)

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

Number of units

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

Director's hearings (past 7 years)

Director's hearings are escalated enforcement actions for buildings that haven't resolved violations — a serious signal.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 44.0%
Moderate concern 44.2%
Severe concern 11.8%
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

31-43 Houston St event timeline

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

2026
311 Request Jul 28
Abandoned vehicle
Parking Enforcement
311 RequestJul 28
Parking on sidewalk

See all 13 events

Full history back to 2020 — violations, complaints, permits, buyouts, and fire incidents.

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Every record we have

Full data for 31-43 Houston 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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