Free SF apartment background check

1120 Union St

Russian Hill, SF 94133 0097010 12 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
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 1120 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 1914
2 or more units
12 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
Units12
Floors3
Year built1914
Total area15,060 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot0097010
Ownership

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

Owner name
Sh Property Inc
Mailing address
The Bohan Company, Bart How 22 Battery St Ste 600 San Francisco CA 94111
Last sale
121411

Landlord portfolio

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

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Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The 12-unit apartment building at 1120 Union Street in Russian Hill, owned by Sh Property Inc, is a 3-story structure built in 1914 that has undergone several significant safety upgrades in recent years. Most notably, the building achieved Soft Story compliance in 2023 following the installation of a new wet pipe sprinkler system in the basement storage area, though there is still an active complaint regarding non-compliance with tier III requirements filed in September 2019. Recent fire safety improvements include a December 2023 upgrade to the fire alarm system to comply with current codes, and there are recent fire violations in 2024 related to sprinkler maintenance and sleeping area requirements that are currently open.

The building has faced several maintenance challenges, particularly during 2022 when there were multiple complaints about heating system failures, with reports of no heat throughout the building during cold weather in February 2022. Previous violations from 2016 indicated issues with electrical wiring, window maintenance, and floor coverings, although most of these were abated by 2017. The property has undergone various infrastructure improvements over the years, including plumbing upgrades (new hot water boiler in 2022, backflow device replacement in 2020) and electrical work (installation of step lights in 2011, various apartment upgrades). The building has a documented history of fire safety violations dating back to 2011, with the most recent being in December 2024 regarding sprinkler/standpipe systems. While many past violations have been resolved, the building has experienced recurring issues with heating systems, fire safety compliance, and maintenance of common areas, as evidenced by the frequency of complaints and permit activity over the years. Recent maintenance requests have primarily concerned external issues such as garbage collection, graffiti, and abandoned vehicles, suggesting that internal systems may be receiving more regular attention under current ownership.

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

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Risk rating

How 1120 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
6th percentile

Out of 1133 buildings in this neighborhood, 1065 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
20%
No DBI
violation
80%
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.

DBI tenant complaints (past 7 years)

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

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 14.9%
Moderate concern 46.9%
Severe concern 38.1%
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

1120 Union St event timeline

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

2025
Building Permit Aug 11
Ref ti 202312273157- fire alarm repalcing all devices with another manufacturer
$1 · Issued

See all 12 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 1120 Union 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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