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701-709 Union St

North Beach, SF 94133 0118001 9 units · 3 fl · 1924

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
3
FewerMore

This building has 3 novs (7y), above the North Beach average of 2.1.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 701-709 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 1924
2 or more units
9 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
Units9
Floors3
Year built1924
Total area8,436 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot0118001
Ownership

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

Owner name
Union Alliance Group Llc
Mailing address
Fong Ronnie Lee Esq 39536 Platero Pl Fremont CA 94539
Last sale
033010

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.

701 Union St, San Francisco, CA 94133
709 Union St, San Francisco, CA 94133
705 Union St, San Francisco, CA 94133
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The three-story, 9-unit multi-family residential building at 701-709 Union Street in North Beach, built in 1924, has undergone several significant improvements and faced various maintenance challenges over recent years. Most notably, there is currently an active permit filed in August 2023 for a fire system replacement and mandatory low frequency horn upgrade to meet 2022 fire code requirements. The building has seen substantial renovation work in recent years, including a $130,000 ground floor tenant improvement project in 2021, and comprehensive unit renovations in 2020 including plumbing, electrical, and interior improvements in units 1 and 3. Critical infrastructure upgrades include water line replacements in 2022, a new boiler installation in 2020, and soft-story seismic retrofitting which has been completed with a Certificate of Final Completion issued.

The property has experienced several maintenance and compliance issues over the years, particularly regarding heating systems, with multiple complaints about inadequate heat between 2016 and 2018, and a March 2023 complaint about no heat that has since been closed. There were significant concerns about lead paint hazards in 2006, which were resolved, and a 2019 complaint regarding a loose fire escape that was addressed. The building has also faced challenges with building systems, including multiple fire system violations between 2009 and 2021 related to blocked exits and alarm systems, though all have been marked as corrected. Recent complaints from 2020 indicate concerns about construction work during health lockdowns, though these were eventually closed. Planning records show various approved uses, including a full-service restaurant establishment, and the property has maintained active compliance with soft-story retrofit requirements. A current active complaint from December 2024 regarding boiler permit renewal is under investigation by the Plumbing Inspection Division.

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

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Risk rating

How 701-709 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
6th percentile

Out of 362 buildings in this neighborhood, 340 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
19%
No DBI
violation
81%
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.

DBI tenant complaints (past 7 years)

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

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 17.4%
Moderate concern 60.7%
Severe concern 21.9%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

701-709 Union St apartment reviews

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The story over time

701-709 Union St event timeline

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

2026
311 Request May 15
Not offensive
sidewalk in front of property
311 RequestMay 15
Not offensive

See all 32 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 701-709 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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