Free SF apartment background check

1019 Union St

Russian Hill, SF 94133 0121024 7 units · 3 fl · 1923

This building has significantly more problems than most nearby buildings. A handful of unresolved issues. Worth a careful walk-through and pointed questions.

NOVs (7y) vs. neighborhood
Compared to a typical building in Russian Hill
At or below average
avg 1.9
0
FewerMore

This building has 0 novs (7y), at or below the Russian Hill average of 1.9.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 1019 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 1923
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
Floors3
Year built1923
Total area8,157 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot0121024
Ownership

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

Owner name
Benjamin D Gardner Trust
Mailing address
Ben Gardner 2400 Sw Park Pl Portland OR 97205
Last sale
092618

Landlord portfolio

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

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Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The 7-unit, three-story apartment building at 1019 Union Street in Russian Hill, owned by the Benjamin D Gardner Trust, was constructed in 1923 and has undergone significant improvements over the past several years. Most recently, in March 2024, the building received approval for the installation of a comprehensive fire alarm system with low-frequency sounds in sleeping areas to comply with current fire code requirements. The building completed its mandatory soft-story retrofit in 2016, demonstrating compliance with seismic safety requirements. Major unit improvements have included comprehensive renovations in Units #1, #2, and #4 between 2015-2017, encompassing kitchen and bathroom remodels, including new fixtures, finishes, and systems updates. Significant building-wide improvements include a complete reroofing in 2016, conversion of the ground floor boiler room to a laundry area in 2007, and the installation of individual water heaters and baseboard heating systems for apartments 1, 3, and 5 in 2007.

The building's maintenance history shows regular upkeep and modernization, including electrical system upgrades with new sub-panels and comprehensive rewiring in 2017, as well as plumbing system improvements throughout various units. Historical violations related to fire safety from 2005, regarding egress obstructions and fire extinguisher maintenance, were promptly addressed and abated within approximately three weeks. A 2008 incident involving uncontained exterior paint powerwashing was also resolved. The most recent maintenance issues reported through 311 calls in 2023 involved graffiti and a damaged tree, which were managed through regular city channels. The building's maintenance record indicates active management and regular updates to systems and infrastructure, with particular attention to safety compliance and tenant comfort.

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

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Risk rating

How 1019 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 1133 buildings in this neighborhood, 906 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
39%
No DBI
violation
61%
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.

Neighborhood location

Precise location is a proxy for neighborhood-level risk — some SF blocks have systematically higher DBI activity.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 32.8%
Moderate concern 37.5%
Severe concern 29.7%
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

1019 Union St event timeline

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

2025
Electrical Permit Jul 31
Online electrical permit: 60 of buildings of 6 dwelling units or less. install (n) fire alarm system. to install low frequency sounds in all sleeping areas to comply with 2016 sffc section 1103.7.6.1.
Complete

See all 4 events

Full history back to 2023 — violations, complaints, permits, buyouts, and fire incidents.

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Every record we have

Full data for 1019 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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