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2120 Larkin St

Russian Hill, SF 94109 0124030 18 units · 3 fl · 1928

This building has significantly more problems than most nearby buildings. 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 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 2120 Larkin 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 1928
2 or more units
18 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
RH3
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
Units18
Floors3
Year built1928
Total area14,475 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot0124030
Ownership

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

Owner name
E C Chao Investments Llc
Mailing address
C&d Realty Corporation 2000 Lawton St San Francisco CA 94122
Last sale
031121

Landlord portfolio

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

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Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The 18-unit, three-story apartment building at 2120 Larkin Street in Russian Hill, owned by E C Chao Investments LLC, has undergone several significant improvements and faced various maintenance challenges since its construction in 1928. Most recently, in August 2024, the building received fire violations related to fire escape maintenance, electrical hazards, and record keeping, though these were subsequently abated. The building completed its mandatory soft-story seismic retrofit work in 2014, costing $100,000, and has since made various improvements including the replacement of five front-facing windows in 2020, kitchen sink replacement in 2021, and compliance with multiple fire safety corrections between 2017-2024.

Historical records show a pattern of fire safety and maintenance issues, particularly during the early 2000s, when multiple violations were documented between 2001-2003 related to fire escapes, electrical systems, and combustible storage. The building underwent structural reinforcing in 2014 to comply with soft-story requirements and received attention to various systems including plumbing and electrical components. While there have been no active violations since the 2024 inspection, recent fire safety issues and the building's history of maintenance challenges suggest ongoing attention to building systems is required. The property has also experienced various exterior maintenance needs over the years, including garage door repairs in 1988 and multiple roofing projects in 1995, indicating periodic maintenance and updates throughout its history.

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

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Risk rating

How 2120 Larkin 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
10th percentile

Out of 1133 buildings in this neighborhood, 1020 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
22%
No DBI
violation
78%
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 10.7%
Moderate concern 60.7%
Severe concern 28.6%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

2120 Larkin St apartment reviews

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The story over time

2120 Larkin St event timeline

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

2025
DBI Complaint Jul 08
Many cracks on the wall
Housing Inspection Services

See all 7 events

Full history back to 2020 — violations, complaints, permits, buyouts, and fire incidents.

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Every record we have

Full data for 2120 Larkin 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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