Free SF apartment background check

517-523 Union St

Telegraph Hill, SF 94133 0116046 7 units · 2 fl · 1906

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 517-523 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
7 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
Units7
Floors2
Year built1906
Total area5,080 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot0116046
Ownership

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

Owner name
Li Fmly Tr
Mailing address
Hui Zi & Rui Ping Li Ttees 521 Union St San Francisco CA 94133
Last sale
061405

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.

523 Union St, San Francisco, CA 94133
521 Union St, San Francisco, CA 94133
519 Union St, San Francisco, CA 94133
517 Union St, San Francisco, CA 94133
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

517-523 Union Street is a two-story, 7-unit multi-family residential building constructed in 1906, currently owned by Li Family Trust. The property has experienced several significant maintenance and safety issues, most notably in 2005-2006 when multiple violations were documented and subsequently addressed, including problems with the central alarm system, fire extinguishers, stairs, and water heating system. The building underwent necessary repairs totaling approximately $3,200 during this period, including stair repairs and addressing various safety violations. Earlier maintenance issues were documented in 2002, when repairs were needed for stairways and hallway plaster walls, and historical records show reroofing work was performed in 1993.

The building's recent history (2024) shows multiple reports of garbage and debris on the property, with at least eight separate incidents recorded between September and December 2024, though most were promptly resolved by city services. The property has undergone some administrative changes, including a lot split and variance approval, and a disapproved removal of an NCU termination date for a former garment shop use. While the building has had various maintenance issues in the past, records indicate that major violations have been resolved, with no active violations on file since March 2006. The most recent building inspection records have not shown any significant structural or safety concerns, suggesting improved maintenance practices.

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

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Risk rating

How 517-523 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
20th percentile

Out of 684 buildings in this neighborhood, 547 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
64%
No DBI
violation
36%
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 permits, owner's portfolio

Permits pulled 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 34.3%
Moderate concern 16.5%
Severe concern 49.2%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
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The story over time

517-523 Union St event timeline

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

2026
311 Request Apr 25
Garbage and debris
other loose garbage debris yard waste
311 RequestFeb 28
Sidewalk defect

See all 8 events

Full history back to 2025 — violations, complaints, permits, buyouts, and fire incidents.

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Every record we have

Full data for 517-523 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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