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686-694 Lombard St

North Beach, SF 94133 0064017 6 units · 3 fl · 1912

This building has a substantial enforcement record over the last seven years, and our model predicts continuing maintenance failures over the next 12 months. Read the records below before you sign. Ask which issues were resolved, get repair commitments in writing, and inspect the unit yourself.

NOVs (7y) vs. neighborhood
Records already on file, against a typical building in North Beach — not a forecast
Above average
avg 2.2
16
FewerMore

This building has 16 novs (7y), above the North Beach average of 2.2.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 686-694 Lombard 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 1912
2 or more units
6 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
RM2
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 1912
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
Floors3
Year built1912
Total area4,470 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot0064017
Ownership

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

Mailing address
Gary S Louie Succ-trustee 739 22Nd Ave San Francisco CA 94121
Last sale
October 14, 2022

Landlord portfolio

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

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Multiple entrances & addresses

Included addresses

All street addresses sharing this blocklot that are covered by this report.

686 Lombard St, San Francisco, CA 94133
690 Lombard St, San Francisco, CA 94133
688 Lombard St, San Francisco, CA 94133
2100 Mason St, San Francisco, CA 94133
692 Lombard St, San Francisco, CA 94133
694 Lombard St, San Francisco, CA 94133
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The 6-unit, 3-story multi-family residential building at 686-694 Lombard Street in North Beach, owned by Lai Y Louie Revocable Trust, has undergone significant changes and faced multiple challenges in recent years. Built in 1912, this property completed its mandatory soft-story seismic retrofit in 2015 (with an earlier permit filed in 2013) and recently replaced a Federal Pacific breaker panel in November 2023, demonstrating efforts to maintain building safety systems. However, early 2023 brought serious concerns, with multiple building violations filed in January 2023 related to safety systems including fire extinguishers, smoke alarms, and heating, as well as a complaint about mold/mildew. The building underwent controversial paint removal work in early 2023, raising lead exposure concerns among residents. A significant tenant buyout occurred in February 2023 involving two tenants at 686 Lombard Street, following a pattern of complaints about building maintenance issues including heat and water problems, though these were ultimately abated by March 2023.

The property has a history of maintenance challenges, with several complaints regarding heating issues, mold, and safety systems in early 2023 all requiring multiple inspections and interventions. A fire escape complaint in late 2022 was resolved by December 2022. The building's commercial storefront has experienced vacancy issues, with complaints about graffiti and abandonment in 2019-2022. More recently, there have been numerous 311 calls regarding street conditions around the property in 2024, though these primarily relate to sidewalk and street maintenance rather than building-specific issues. The building is currently classified as a Tier 3 soft-story retrofitted structure, with the work completed and Certificate of Final Completion issued, and a fire escape issue from late 2022 reported as corrected in December 2022.

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

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Risk rating

How 686-694 Lombard 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

Lower risk — safer than most nearby

DBI rarely finds violations here. Strong maintenance history and a clean complaint record.

Typical — about average for the neighborhood

Some past violations or complaints on record. Worth asking the landlord about any open issues before signing.

Higher risk — riskier than most nearby

Elevated violation and complaint history. DBI has found issues here before and is statistically likely to again.

Neighborhood percentile
9thpercentile

Out of 362 buildings in this neighborhood, 329 are predicted to be safer. The band is relative to this neighborhood, so a share of every neighborhood falls in each colour.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
24%
No DBI
violation
76%
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.

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.

12-Month risk forecast
High failure risk 76%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

686-694 Lombard St apartment reviews

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The story over time

686-694 Lombard St event timeline

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

2026
DBI Complaint Jul 20
Date last observed: 15-jul-26; floor: 1; exact location: main bldg; building type: residence/dwelling work w/o permit; other building; ; additional information: i was walking by in the neighborhood and observed a construction crew removing and installing new windows and doing major demolition and remodel work on the unit at street level. there’s no permit posted anywhere. i thought you would be interested in knowing about it. ;
Building Inspection Division
311 RequestJul 15
Garbage and debris

See all 19 events

Full history back to 2022 — violations, complaints, permits, buyouts, and fire incidents.

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Every record we have

Full data for 686-694 Lombard St apartments

13 SF public datasets for this parcel — permits, violations, complaints, fire records, 311 calls, planning records, and buyouts.

Side by side

How 686-694 Lombard St compares to the neighborhood

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Cancel anytime · Data sourced from SF Open Data, DBI, SFFD, SF Rent Board & Planning

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