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555-559 Union St

Telegraph Hill, SF 94133 0116032 5 units · 3 fl · 1908

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
Above average
avg 1.2
18
FewerMore

This building has 18 novs (7y), above the Telegraph Hill average of 1.2.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 555-559 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 1908
2 or more units
5 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.

Building characteristics
Units5
Floors3
Year built1908
Total area5,514 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot0116032
Ownership

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

Owner name
Anderson J & Michele C Lee
Mailing address
Lee Anderson J & Michele C 110 Alameda Pl San Bruno CA 94066
Last sale
121213

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.

557 Union St, San Francisco, CA 94133
555 Union St, San Francisco, CA 94133
559 Union St, San Francisco, CA 94133
Augrented Insights
AI summary

The three-story, five-unit apartment building at 555-559 Union Street, owned by Anderson J & Michele C Lee, has a significant history of maintenance and compliance work dating back to its 1908 construction in Telegraph Hill. Most notably, the building completed mandatory seismic improvements as part of San Francisco's Soft Story Retrofit Program, with work performed in 2019-2020 costing approximately $80,000, including foundation replacements and shearwall improvements. The building has undergone several major maintenance projects, including re-roofing in 2016 (cost: $26,500) and scaffold work in 2014.

The property has experienced various maintenance and compliance challenges over the years. In 2023, there was a report of water damage, mold, and vermin issues that were subsequently addressed. A 2016 complaint raised multiple concerns including window issues, CO detector problems, plumbing concerns, and potential mold, though these issues appear to have been resolved. Historical violations from 2004 included problems with the central alarm system, smoke detectors, stairs, handrails, and gas meter instructions, all of which were resolved by 2019. The building's fire safety features have also been addressed through various improvements over the years.

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Risk rating

How 555-559 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

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
23th percentile

Out of 684 buildings in this neighborhood, 527 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
67%
No DBI
violation
33%
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.

DBI tenant complaints (past 7 years)

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

Notices of Violation (past 7 years)

DBI issued Notices of Violation at this address over the last 7 years — a direct record of code enforcement activity.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 57.4%
Moderate concern 17.7%
Severe concern 25.0%
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

555-559 Union St event timeline

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

2026
311 Request Mar 27
Not offensive
pole
311 RequestMar 27
Permit parking

See all 13 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 555-559 Union 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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