Free SF apartment background check

1048 Union St

Russian Hill, SF 94133 0098005 21 units · 4 fl · 1918

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
Above average
avg 1.9
5
FewerMore

This building has 5 novs (7y), above the Russian Hill average of 1.9.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 1048 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 1918
2 or more units
21 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.

Building characteristics
Units21
Floors4
Year built1918
Total area171,950 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot0098005
Ownership

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

Owner name
1048 Union St Llc
Mailing address
Theodore Max Kniesche, Jr / 1572 Union St San Francisco CA 94123
Last sale
072618

Landlord portfolio

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

Unlock complete report
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

This four-story, 21-unit multi-family residential building in Russian Hill, constructed in 1918, has undergone significant maintenance and improvement work over recent years, with the most pressing current issues revolving around stucco remediation and fire safety compliance. Most recently, in October 2024, the building began work to remove asbestos-containing stucco from its facade, with a follow-up permit in November 2024 for additional stucco work. A notable fire safety violation was issued in December 2023 regarding sleeping area requirements, though the building is generally considered to have addressed its most critical seismic vulnerabilities through Tier 2 soft story improvements. The property has undergone substantial electrical and plumbing upgrades, including a new heat pump system in 2024, domestic boiler installation in 2022, and a fire alarm system upgrade in 2023 to meet current fire code requirements. The building has seen significant unit improvements, with three apartments (Units 2, 6, and 8) receiving comprehensive kitchen and bathroom remodels between 2019-2022, and infrastructure improvements including sewer piping replacement in 2020 and a new roof installation in 2018.

Historical records reveal the building has faced several maintenance challenges, particularly between 2003-2009, when issues such as water damage, heating problems, and alarm system deficiencies were documented. However, these violations were resolved, often through prompt corrective action. The property has maintained an active maintenance schedule, with regular updates to key systems including the fire alarm system, plumbing, and electrical infrastructure, though the recent sleeping area requirement violation indicates there may still be some outstanding regulatory compliance issues. The building's management has generally addressed violations and complaints in a timely manner, with most issues being resolved or abated within reasonable timeframes. Recent improvements suggest ongoing investment in the building's infrastructure, though the presence of asbestos remediation work and a recent fire safety violation indicates some legacy building system issues remain to be fully resolved.

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 1048 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
5th percentile

Out of 1133 buildings in this neighborhood, 1076 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
17%
No DBI
violation
83%
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.

Building size

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

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 7.4%
Moderate concern 58.0%
Severe concern 34.6%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

1048 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

1048 Union St event timeline

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

2026
Electrical Permit May 14
Unit #19 install remodel wire as needed for an electric heater in bedroom remove existing apartment sub panel from closet relocate apartment subpanel as needed to allow for code compliance
Complete
Building Violation (NOV)Mar 16
No permit to operate the boiler. serial no 1701104330054, cmc 1022. monthly monitoring fee applies. code sec: sfbc 110a, table 1a-k

See all 27 events

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

Unlock complete timeline
Every record we have

Full data for 1048 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 1048 Union St
Get alerted the moment a new violation or complaint is filed.