Free SF apartment background check

17 Sonoma St

Telegraph Hill, SF 94133 0115046 3 units · 3 fl · 1907

This building has a higher-than-average number of open problems nearby. 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 17 Sonoma 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 area2,220 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusHome Owners
Blocklot0115046
Ownership

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

Owner name
Poy & Tsui Lee 2009 Fmly Tr
Mailing address
Poy Seong & Tsui C P Lee Tr 17 Sonoma St Apt 2 San Francisco CA 94133
Last sale
000000

Landlord portfolio

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

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Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The three-unit multi-family residential building at 17 Sonoma Street in Telegraph Hill, owned by Poy & Tsui Lee 2009 Family Trust, was constructed in 1907 and consists of three stories. The building's maintenance history shows several significant events, particularly in 2013 when multiple building violations were recorded, including concerns about lead paint, weather-proofing issues on siding, and various fire safety concerns such as fire escape maintenance, gas utility requirements, and smoke detector compliance – all of which were officially abated by March 2013. A routine inspection in 2005 also identified multiple safety concerns that were addressed, including fire escape obstructions and fire extinguisher maintenance. More recent records from 2018 show attempted renovations to a second-floor bathroom, including work on the vanity, toilet, and lighting, though these permits were ultimately cancelled.

The property has experienced various service requests and routine maintenance calls in recent years, with the most recent being related to garbage and debris issues in 2024. There have been multiple street cleaning and general service requests recorded through SF311 between 2020 and 2024, all of which have been closed and resolved, primarily involving Recology and DPW services for various street maintenance needs. While the building's history shows a pattern of addressing safety and maintenance issues, particularly during the early 2010s, there have been no recent major violations or complaints directly related to the building's condition or safety systems. The property's most recent documented concerns have primarily involved street-level maintenance and waste management issues, which appear to have been promptly resolved through appropriate channels.

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

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Risk rating

How 17 Sonoma 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
48th percentile

Out of 684 buildings in this neighborhood, 356 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
86%
No DBI
violation
14%
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.

Building age

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

Estimated permit spend (past 7 years)

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

Building permits, owner's portfolio

Permits pulled across all of this owner's buildings over 7 years.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 69.3%
Moderate concern 15.8%
Severe concern 14.9%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

17 Sonoma St apartment reviews

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The story over time

17 Sonoma St event timeline

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

2026
311 Request May 02
Blocked sidewalk
scooter without license plate

See all 4 events

Full history back to 2024 — violations, complaints, permits, buyouts, and fire incidents.

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Every record we have

Full data for 17 Sonoma 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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