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716-722 Columbus Ave

North Beach, SF 94133 0090027 12 units · 3 fl · 1907

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 North Beach
Above average
avg 2.1
40
FewerMore

This building has 40 novs (7y), above the North Beach average of 2.1.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 716-722 Columbus Ave 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 1907
2 or more units
12 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
NBEACH
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
Units12
Floors3
Year built1907
Total area10,468 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot0090027
Ownership

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

Owner name
Lau Jeffrey & Sophie
Mailing address
785 Columbus Ave San Francisco CA 94133
Last sale
000000

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.

731 Greenwich St, San Francisco, CA 94133
733 Greenwich St, San Francisco, CA 94133
716 Columbus Ave, San Francisco, CA 94133
739 Greenwich St, San Francisco, CA 94133
745 Greenwich St, San Francisco, CA 94133
735 Greenwich St, San Francisco, CA 94133
720 Columbus Ave, San Francisco, CA 94133
718 Columbus Ave, San Francisco, CA 94133
743 Greenwich St, San Francisco, CA 94133
741 Greenwich St, San Francisco, CA 94133
722 Columbus Ave, San Francisco, CA 94133
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The three-story mixed-use building at 716-722 Columbus Avenue in North Beach, owned by Jeffrey & Sophie Lau, contains 12 residential units plus commercial space and was constructed in 1907. The property has undergone several significant commercial renovations in recent years, most notably in 2022 with a $78,000 retail renovation including new pasta prep areas, dish areas, checkout, lighting, and retail shelves. The commercial space, which includes The Italian Homemade Company, has seen multiple improvements since 2014 including a fire suppression system installation, kitchen equipment upgrades, and ADA compliance work. The building experienced some safety concerns between 2016-2017 with exterior staircase issues that required multiple repairs and citations, though these were ultimately resolved.

Recent building conditions show a mix of maintenance and compliance issues. In 2023, there was a plumbing leak complaint near the property, and earlier in 2020-2021, there were multiple complaints regarding water intrusion, mold, and limited heat issues that were addressed through various repairs. The property has a history of vacant storefront concerns, with the most recent complaints in 2023 still showing active status. Several plumbing and electrical upgrades have been performed over the years, including water heater replacements, sink installations, and various code compliance modifications. While there were some historical violations related to drainage issues and sidewalk problems, these have been resolved. The building continues to maintain an active commercial component which has adapted to changing requirements, including converting from a Limited Restaurant to a full Restaurant use in 2021 under new legislation.

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

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Risk rating

How 716-722 Columbus Ave'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
2th percentile

Out of 362 buildings in this neighborhood, 355 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.

Building size

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

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.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 4.7%
Moderate concern 84.7%
Severe concern 10.6%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

716-722 Columbus Ave apartment reviews

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The story over time

716-722 Columbus Ave event timeline

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

2026
DBI Complaint May 04
Vacant storefront
Code Enforcement Section
DBI ComplaintMay 04
Vacant storefront

See all 21 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 716-722 Columbus Ave 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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