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527-531 Union St

Telegraph Hill, SF 94133 0116045 4 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 527-531 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 1906
2 or more units
4 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
Units4
Floors3
Year built1906
Total area2,346 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot0116045
Ownership

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

Owner name
Jv&Y Llc
Mailing address
Tran Vinh Kien & Khuu Yen T 1725 Hunt Dr Burlingame CA 94010
Last sale
041715

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.

529 Union St, San Francisco, CA 94133
531 Union St, San Francisco, CA 94133
527 Union St, San Francisco, CA 94133
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The property at 527-531 Union Street is a three-story multi-family residential building located in Telegraph Hill, consisting of four units and owned by JV&Y LLC. Built in 1906, this flats and duplex structure has undergone several significant improvements in recent years. Most notably, in 2021, two windows were replaced at the back of the house, and in 2016, there was a substantial structural upgrade involving the replacement of wood posts and beams with steel support systems. A comprehensive renovation was completed in 2015, including kitchen and bathroom remodels, window replacements, reroofing, and an electrical system upgrade to a 200-amp underground service with five meters. These improvements collectively indicate active maintenance and upgrading of the building's systems and structures.

The building has a history of addressing safety concerns, particularly regarding fire safety and structural integrity. In 2005, a routine inspection revealed multiple violations related to fire safety, egress obstruction, and combustible storage, though these were all abated by November 2006. A similar routine inspection in 2000 and a complaint about unsafe stairs in 1995 were also resolved. The most recent building-related complaint was filed in 2014 regarding alterations to the passageway between the rear yard unit and garage, which was marked as not active. Recent maintenance issues have primarily involved exterior cleaning concerns, with multiple 311 calls in 2024 regarding garbage and debris, though these are street-related issues rather than building-specific problems. The property has demonstrated a pattern of addressing both routine maintenance and significant structural improvements, with all recorded building permits showing either completed or properly filed status, suggesting responsible management of the property's maintenance needs.

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

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Risk rating

How 527-531 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
41th percentile

Out of 684 buildings in this neighborhood, 404 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
85%
No DBI
violation
15%
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.

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.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 54.7%
Moderate concern 15.2%
Severe concern 30.1%
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

527-531 Union St event timeline

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

2026
311 Request Mar 27
Not offensive
other

See all 2 events

Full history back to 2021 — violations, complaints, permits, buyouts, and fire incidents.

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Every record we have

Full data for 527-531 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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