Free SF apartment background check

1248-1254 Union St

Russian Hill, SF 94109 0096023 4 units · 2 fl · 1908

This building has a higher-than-average number of open problems nearby. Few open issues; problems get fixed quickly. A reasonable bet for a smooth tenancy.

NOVs (7y) vs. neighborhood
Compared to a typical building in Russian Hill
Above average
avg 1.9
9
FewerMore

This building has 9 novs (7y), above the Russian Hill average of 1.9.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 1248-1254 Union 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 1908
2 or more units
4 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
RH3
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
Units4
Floors2
Year built1908
Total area4,060 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot0096023
Ownership

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

Owner name
Larry C Kwong & Betty Lee-K
Mailing address
Kwong Larry Trustee P O Box 407 Corte Madera CA 94976
Last sale
111620

Landlord portfolio

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

Unlock complete report
Multiple entrances & addresses

Included addresses

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

1252 Union St, San Francisco, CA 94109
1250 Union St, San Francisco, CA 94109
1248 Union St, San Francisco, CA 94109
1254 Union St, San Francisco, CA 94109
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The property at 1248-1254 Union Street is a two-story, 4-unit multi-family residential building located in the Russian Hill neighborhood, built in 1908 and owned by Larry C Kwong & Betty Lee-k. The building's maintenance record shows several significant events, with the most concerning being a series of plumbing violations in early 2018 involving the improper installation of multiple water heaters (four tankless and one conventional), which were initially cited as creating life safety hazards. These violations, recorded between January and February 2018, resulted in monetary fees and required correction, though they were ultimately abated by May 2020. The building underwent a legitimate water heater installation project in March 2018, which was properly permitted.

Historical maintenance records show regular routine inspections by housing authorities in 2000, 2008, 2011, and 2018, suggesting generally consistent oversight of the property. Recent activity includes a street space permit issued in 2016, and various 311 calls from 2012 to 2023, primarily related to street cleaning, parking issues, and occasional hazardous materials. Two notable incidents occurred in 2022 involving hazardous materials (glass) and human/animal waste on the street, as well as a resolved graffiti complaint in 2023. The most recent building-related issue appears to be from 2012 regarding improper management of trash receptacles, which was addressed through official notice. While the property has experienced some maintenance and compliance issues over the past decade, particularly in 2018, records indicate that most violations have been resolved, with no active complaints or violations currently on file as of October 2023.

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

Free account unlocks the full analysis — plus 2× more records across all data categories and the complete landlord portfolio.
Risk rating

How 1248-1254 Union 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
44th percentile

Out of 1133 buildings in this neighborhood, 634 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
71%
No DBI
violation
29%
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.

Number of units

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

Neighborhood (ZIP code)

The ZIP code captures local housing market and enforcement patterns that affect all buildings in the area.

Neighborhood location

Precise location is a proxy for neighborhood-level risk — some SF blocks have systematically higher DBI activity.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 38.2%
Moderate concern 16.2%
Severe concern 45.6%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

1248-1254 Union St apartment reviews

Real experiences from people who have lived here. Share yours to help other renters decide.

Share your experience — Help other renters by leaving an honest apartment review

Loading reviews…

On the map

Compare nearby alternatives

This building and nearby alternatives, color-coded by risk level. Click any marker to explore.

Buildings nearby
Loading…
The story over time

1248-1254 Union St event timeline

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

2026
311 Request May 21
Damaging property
hitting window or building
311 RequestJan 09
Garbage and debris

See all 4 events

Full history back to 2025 — violations, complaints, permits, buyouts, and fire incidents.

Unlock complete timeline
Every record we have

Full data for 1248-1254 Union St apartments

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

Still apartment hunting in SF?

Look up the next apartment before you sign

Search any SF address free — no account needed to see the risk rating.

Simple pricing

Get the complete picture

Every plan unlocks the complete report: all 13 SF datasets, full history, landlord portfolio, and PDF & Excel exports.

Report Bundle

For the buildings you're deciding on right now

$10 one-time

~$3.33 per building. No subscription ever. Each credit unlocks one building's premium report for 30 days.

  • 3 full AI-powered reports
  • Download PDF reports
  • Advanced safety analysis
  • Compare multiple buildings
  • Credits never expire until you use them
  • Full public records (200 rows per dataset)
Buy 3 Reports — $10

Apartment Hunter

For a wide search across many buildings

$39 one-time

30 reports — ~$1.30 each. No subscription ever.

  • 30 full AI-powered reports
  • Download PDF reports
  • Advanced safety analysis
  • Compare multiple buildings
  • Credits never expire until you use them
  • Full public records (200 rows per dataset)
Buy 30 Reports — $39

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

Watch 1248-1254 Union St
Get alerted the moment a new violation or complaint is filed.