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988 Union St

Russian Hill, SF 94133 0099009 7 units · 3 fl · 1976

A handful of records on file over the last seven years, and our model sees a moderate chance of more in the next 12 months. A few records worth reading before you sign. Check whether they were closed out, and ask what was actually fixed.

NOVs (7y) vs. neighborhood
Records already on file, against a typical building in Russian Hill — not a forecast
At or below average
avg 1.9
0
FewerMore

This building has 0 novs (7y), at or below the Russian Hill average of 1.9.

The bar and the rating point different ways because they measure different things: the bar counts DBI violations already on file, the rating forecasts the next 12 months.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 988 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 1976
2 or more units
7 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 1976
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
Units7
Floors3
Year built1976
Total area8,278 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusHome Owners
Blocklot0099009
Ownership

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

Mailing address
Manling Har H Koo, Ttee 988 Union St Apt 301 San Francisco CA 94133
Last sale

Landlord portfolio

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

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Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The 7-unit, 3-story apartment building at 988 Union Street in Russian Hill, owned by the Survivors of Manling Har H Koo, was constructed in 1976 and has undergone several significant safety-related improvements over the years. Most notably, the building completed a mandatory soft-story retrofit in 2016-2017 (classified as Tier 3), which included engineering revisions valued at $75,000 to improve seismic safety. The building has maintained regular safety inspections, with records showing routine housing inspections in 1996, 2000, 2005, and 2007, during which some issues related to smoke detectors and emergency exits were identified in 2005 but were promptly addressed the same day.

Past improvements include reroofing work in 2008 (costing $15,000) and historical records from 1984 indicate the installation of a fire escape system and code compliance upgrades. The property has experienced minimal fire-related incidents, with only false alarms and a CO detector malfunction reported between 2007 and 2008, all of which resulted in no civilian injuries. Recent municipal service calls from 2023-2024 have primarily centered around street cleaning issues, including reports of garbage, human/animal waste, and hazardous materials on adjacent public spaces, as well as some parking enforcement matters. While these exterior maintenance issues have been consistently resolved, they primarily affect the surrounding area rather than the building itself. The most recent building permit activity was in 2017, suggesting no major structural modifications have occurred in recent years, while a July 2024 water leak incident was reported but not yet scheduled for repair at that time.

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

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Risk rating

How 988 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

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
25thpercentile

Out of 1133 buildings in this neighborhood, 850 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
52%
No DBI
violation
48%
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 risk forecast
Moderate failure risk 48%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

988 Union St apartment reviews

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On the map

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The story over time

988 Union St event timeline

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

2025
DBI Complaint Jul 07
Date last observed: 05-jul-25; time last observed: 5pm; identity of person performing the work: unknown to me; floor: roof; exact location: roof; building type: residence/dwelling work w/o permit; ; additional information: i wish to remain anonymous. it looks like a very complicated, heavy-duty deck and structure is being built on the roof without permits. i have witnessed gatherings with numerous partying people on the roof.;
Building Inspection Division

See all 1 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 988 Union St apartments

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

Side by side

How 988 Union St compares to the neighborhood

This building against comparable properties in Russian Hill. Toggle filters to narrow the peer group.

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

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