Free SF apartment background check

26-30 Varennes St

Telegraph Hill, SF 94133 0115035 3 units · 3 fl · 1907

This building has more problems than most buildings in this neighborhood. Few open issues; problems get fixed quickly. A reasonable bet for a smooth tenancy.

NOVs (7y) vs. neighborhood
Compared to a typical building in Telegraph Hill
At or below average
avg 1.2
0
FewerMore

This building has 0 novs (7y), at or below the Telegraph Hill average of 1.2.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 26-30 Varennes 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 1907
2 or more units
3 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
Units3
Floors3
Year built1907
Total area2,952 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusHome Owners
Blocklot0115035
Ownership

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

Owner name
Ko Chew Mu
Mailing address
639a 2nd Ave San Francisco CA 94118
Last sale
000000

Landlord portfolio

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

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Multiple entrances & addresses

Included addresses

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

26 Varennes St, San Francisco, CA 94133
28 Varennes St, San Francisco, CA 94133
30 Varennes St, San Francisco, CA 94133
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

This three-story, three-unit multi-family residential building at 26-30 Varennes Street in Telegraph Hill, owned by Ko Chew Mu, was constructed in 1907 and has experienced several significant maintenance and compliance issues over its history. The most recent building-related concern was filed in April 2023 regarding construction work occurring on Sundays, which was resolved by May 2023. The property has a documented history of water damage and maintenance issues, including multiple repairs for dryrot damage in 2009, repairs to rear stairs in 2005, and various violations in 2000 related to an unpermitted guestroom construction with inadequate light and ventilation that required remediation in 2001-2002.

The building has faced several housing code compliance challenges, particularly in the early 2000s, including violations related to wood stairs repair, fire extinguisher maintenance, smoke detectors, unit identification, and a cockroach infestation. A lead paint violation was noted in 2011, and while most building permits and violations have been resolved, the property has required ongoing attention to exterior maintenance, as evidenced by multiple permits for repairs and a routine inspection in 2005. Recent years have seen primarily external maintenance issues, including complaints about peeling paint and stucco in 2011, with the most recent building-related complaint being from 2023. The surrounding area has experienced various municipal service calls, primarily related to street cleaning and waste management issues, as documented in 311 calls from 2012-2024.

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

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Risk rating

How 26-30 Varennes 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
21th percentile

Out of 684 buildings in this neighborhood, 540 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
66%
No DBI
violation
34%
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.

DBI tenant complaints (past 7 years)

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

Estimated permit spend (past 7 years)

Dollar value of permits pulled at this address — large recent spend can signal deferred-maintenance catch-up.

Building age

Older buildings tend to have more maintenance challenges; SF's pre-1906 earthquake housing stock carries distinct risk.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 60.8%
Moderate concern 24.6%
Severe concern 14.6%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

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The story over time

26-30 Varennes St event timeline

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

2024
311 Request Nov 08
Garbage and debris
other bagged boxed contained garbage

See all 4 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 26-30 Varennes St apartments

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

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