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3-5 Sonoma St

Telegraph Hill, SF 94133 0115050 3 units · 3 fl · 1906

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 3-5 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 1906
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 built1906
Total area1,995 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot0115050
Ownership

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

Owner name
Kwong Family Trust
Mailing address
Kwok Fu & Fung Sin Kwong 433 14Th Ave San Francisco CA 94118
Last sale
060619

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.

5 Sonoma St, San Francisco, CA 94133
3 Sonoma St, San Francisco, CA 94133
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The three-story, three-unit multi-family residential building at 3-5 Sonoma St in Telegraph Hill, owned by the Kwong Family Trust, was constructed in 1906 and has undergone several significant improvements over its lifetime. Most notably, in late 2020 and early 2021, the building received a comprehensive fire safety upgrade with the installation of a new Silent Knight fire alarm system, including multiple smoke detectors, pull stations, monitor modules, horn strobes, and sounder horns, at a cost of approximately $18,264. Earlier renovations included bathroom remodels and sheetrock work in 1994-1995 across multiple units, as well as exterior improvements such as stucco application and vinyl siding installation.

The building's safety record shows responsiveness to concerns, particularly in August 2005 when there was an issue with egress obstruction at the fire escape drop ladder, which was promptly addressed and abated within two weeks. While there have been several 311 calls related to the property's vicinity since 2018, including reports of sewage backup and street cleaning issues, these are primarily external concerns unrelated to the building's structural integrity or internal systems. The most recent municipal service request, as of January 2025, involves a report of human waste or urine on the street, though this appears to be an exterior maintenance issue rather than a building concern. The property has maintained active compliance with housing inspections, with all routine inspections being properly addressed and closed.

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

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Risk rating

How 3-5 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
64th percentile

Out of 684 buildings in this neighborhood, 246 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
88%
No DBI
violation
12%
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 complaint rate, owner's portfolio

Per-building complaint rate across the owner's portfolio.

DBI complaints, owner's portfolio

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

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 63.8%
Moderate concern 23.4%
Severe concern 12.8%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

3-5 Sonoma St apartment reviews

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The story over time

3-5 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 6 events

Full history back to 2020 — violations, complaints, permits, buyouts, and fire incidents.

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Every record we have

Full data for 3-5 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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