Free SF apartment background check

585 Columbus Ave

North Beach, SF 94133 0117016 36 units · 3 fl · 1914

This building has far more open problems than almost any other in the neighborhood. Renters here report frequent, slow-to-fix problems. Get repair promises in writing and check the unit before signing.

NOVs (7y) vs. neighborhood
Compared to a typical building in North Beach
Above average
avg 2.1
4
FewerMore

This building has 4 novs (7y), above the North Beach average of 2.1.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 585 Columbus Ave 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 1914
2 or more units
36 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
NBEACH
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
Units36
Floors3
Year built1914
Total area22,060 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot0117016
Ownership

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

Owner name
Powell Partners Llc
Mailing address
100 Green St San Francisco CA 94111
Last sale
062221

Landlord portfolio

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

Unlock complete report
Multiple entrances & addresses

Included addresses

All street addresses sharing this blocklot that are covered by this report.

1654 Powell St, San Francisco, CA 94133
663 Union St, San Francisco, CA 94133
655 Union St, San Francisco, CA 94133
1650 Powell St, San Francisco, CA 94133
1644 Powell St, San Francisco, CA 94133
1640 Powell St, San Francisco, CA 94133
585 Columbus Ave, San Francisco, CA 94133
1638 Powell St, San Francisco, CA 94133
1648 Powell St, San Francisco, CA 94133
1646 Powell St, San Francisco, CA 94133
659 Union St, San Francisco, CA 94133
1656 Powell St, San Francisco, CA 94133
673 Union St, San Francisco, CA 94133
1642 Powell St, San Francisco, CA 94133
1636 Powell St, San Francisco, CA 94133
653 Union St, San Francisco, CA 94133
1652 Powell St, San Francisco, CA 94133
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The 36-unit, 3-story multi-family residential building at 585 Columbus Avenue in North Beach, owned by Powell Partners LLC, has a complex history marked by significant events and ongoing developments. Built in 1914, the property experienced severe damage from two fires (2013 and 2018), which led to emergency shoring work and subsequent attempts to stabilize the structure. The building's status has been complicated by several demolition and reconstruction proposals, with the most recent permit filed in March 2023 for demolition of the brick building, following a December 2021 permit for facade retention and debris removal. A proposed project seeks to develop a new 4-story, 47-unit building with ground-floor restaurant space, though this remains under review.

The building has faced multiple safety and maintenance challenges, particularly regarding fire safety systems and building code compliance. Recent fire violations from 2024 cite issues with sprinkler systems and alarm maintenance, while previous violations (2021-2023) involved concerns about exits, extinguishers, and record-keeping. The property has a history of being unoccupied or experiencing vacancy issues, with multiple tenant buyouts recorded, including one for $10,000 in December 2024 and another for $30,000 in December 2020. Building complaints filed between 2020 and 2024 indicate ongoing concerns about building maintenance, storefront vacancy, and code compliance requirements, particularly regarding lead paint hazards. While the property has undergone various repairs and system upgrades over the years, including plumbing and electrical work, the persistence of regulatory violations and recent fire safety issues suggest ongoing maintenance challenges.

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

Free account unlocks the full analysis — plus 2× more records across all data categories and the complete landlord portfolio.
Risk rating

How 585 Columbus Ave'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
5th percentile

Out of 362 buildings in this neighborhood, 344 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
17%
No DBI
violation
83%
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 size

Total floor area — a proxy for building scale and the number of systems (plumbing, electrical, HVAC) that can fail.

Director's hearing rate, owner's portfolio

Per-building rate of director's hearings across the owner's portfolio.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 18.4%
Moderate concern 69.3%
Severe concern 12.3%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

585 Columbus Ave apartment reviews

Real experiences from people who have lived here. Share yours to help other renters decide.

Share your experience — Help other renters by leaving an honest apartment review

Loading reviews…

On the map

Compare nearby alternatives

This building and nearby alternatives, color-coded by risk level. Click any marker to explore.

Buildings nearby
Loading…
The story over time

585 Columbus Ave event timeline

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

2026
DBI Complaint Jun 12
They are demolishing the building. they did not notify business owners. there is dust all over getting on my merchandise. we are losing money and business. (311 sr 101004233708)after the recent demolition of the coit liquors building at the corner of union and columbus, the large pile of construction debris and dirt has just been sitting on the site, uncovered. there are a lot of high winds inthe area which blows this dust around and there's concern about the debris containing asbestos. the city should be taking steps to either remove this debris as soon as possible or cover it (311 sr 101004248826 6/15/26)
Building Inspection Division
DBI ComplaintJun 03
Caller reporting that contractor is using bulldozers to demolish this building without permits. requesting urgent response as this is a historical landmark. (complaint address is 585 columbus st.)

See all 26 events

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

Unlock complete timeline
Every record we have

Full data for 585 Columbus Ave apartments

13 SF public datasets for this parcel — permits, violations, complaints, fire records, 311 calls, planning records, and buyouts.

Still apartment hunting in SF?

Look up the next apartment before you sign

Search any SF address free — no account needed to see the risk rating.

Simple pricing

Get the complete picture

Every plan unlocks the complete report: all 13 SF datasets, full history, landlord portfolio, and PDF & Excel exports.

Report Bundle

For the buildings you're deciding on right now

$10 one-time

~$3.33 per building. No subscription ever. Each credit unlocks one building's premium report for 30 days.

  • 3 full AI-powered reports
  • Download PDF reports
  • Advanced safety analysis
  • Compare multiple buildings
  • Credits never expire until you use them
  • Full public records (200 rows per dataset)
Buy 3 Reports — $10

Apartment Hunter

For a wide search across many buildings

$39 one-time

30 reports — ~$1.30 each. No subscription ever.

  • 30 full AI-powered reports
  • Download PDF reports
  • Advanced safety analysis
  • Compare multiple buildings
  • Credits never expire until you use them
  • Full public records (200 rows per dataset)
Buy 30 Reports — $39

Cancel anytime · Data sourced from SF Open Data, DBI, SFFD, SF Rent Board & Planning

Watch 585 Columbus Ave
Get alerted the moment a new violation or complaint is filed.