Free SF apartment background check

40 Alta St

Telegraph Hill, SF 94133 0106034D 6 units · 3 fl · 1955

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 Telegraph Hill
Above average
avg 1.2
7
FewerMore

This building has 7 novs (7y), above the Telegraph Hill average of 1.2.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 40 Alta 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 1955
2 or more units
6 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
Units6
Floors3
Year built1955
Total area3,461 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot0106034D
Ownership

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

Owner name
Alta Street Investments I L
Mailing address
Thomas K Jue Po Box 330188 San Francisco CA 94133
Last sale
031319

Landlord portfolio

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

Unlock complete report
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The 3-story, 6-unit multi-family residential building at 40 Alta Street in Telegraph Hill, built in 1955 and currently owned by Alta Street Investments I L, has undergone significant recent improvements and faced several regulatory challenges. Between 2021-2023, the building has seen approximately $200,000 in renovations, including deck repairs, interior unit remodels (Units 1, 3, 4, and 5), and major infrastructure upgrades such as a new fire alarm system, electrical panel replacement, and plumbing improvements including the installation of 2 tankless water heaters and replacement of sewer/water lines. The building was previously cited for not complying with the mandatory Soft Story Retrofit Program (Tier III), though records indicate this work has now been completed, along with the issuance of a Certificate of Final Completion (CFC).

Recent maintenance issues have centered around the building's boiler system, with multiple complaints and violations regarding unpermitted operation between 2010 and 2023, though records indicate the most recent violation was abated as of November 15, 2023. The property has experienced various tenant-related concerns over the years, including unauthorized commercial use of one unit in 2018, complaints about renovation work hours and parking impacts, and a historical complaint regarding non-working kitchen appliances. Recent construction-related complaints filed in late 2023 (December) suggest ongoing renovation activities, while multiple permits indicate substantial work has been completed across various units. The building's infrastructure updates have focused on maintaining safety and compliance with current codes, including the replacement of deteriorated guardrails and upgrading fire safety systems, though there have been periods of unpermitted work that generated inspection activity.

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 40 Alta 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
7th percentile

Out of 684 buildings in this neighborhood, 636 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
19%
No DBI
violation
81%
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.

NOV rate, owner's portfolio

Per-building NOV rate across everything this owner manages — high rates signal pattern neglect.

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.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 20.7%
Moderate concern 49.1%
Severe concern 30.3%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

40 Alta 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

40 Alta St event timeline

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

2023
311 & DBI Complaint Dec 11
Complaint
building inspection - complaint
Plumbing PermitSep 28
Work category: 1p; gas houseline ext

See all 27 events

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

Unlock complete timeline
Every record we have

Full data for 40 Alta 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 40 Alta St
Get alerted the moment a new violation or complaint is filed.