Free SF apartment background check

31 Romolo St

Telegraph Hill, SF 94133 0145020 6 units · 3 fl · 1911

This building has a higher-than-average number of open problems nearby. 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 31 Romolo 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 1911
2 or more units
6 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
BDWY
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
Units6
Floors3
Year built1911
Total area5,460 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot0145020
Ownership

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

Owner name
Armstrong & Norma Chiang Lu
Mailing address
Lum Armstrong & Norma C Tte 2212 20Th Ave San Francisco CA 94116
Last sale
000000

Landlord portfolio

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

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Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The 6-unit, 3-story multi-family residential building at 31 Romolo Street in Telegraph Hill, owned by Armstrong & Norma Chiang Lu, has undergone significant recent improvements and faced several safety-related issues over the past few years. The property is currently undergoing substantial renovations across all units, including kitchen and bathroom remodels with new fixtures, and the addition of laundry facilities, with permits valued at approximately $1 million issued between September 2023 and January 2024. Additionally, a new roof deck installation (costing $150,000) is planned for early 2024. The building has experienced recurring fire safety system issues, with multiple violations recorded between 2021 and 2024 related to alarm systems, sprinkler/standpipe systems, and fire extinguisher requirements, though most of these have been corrected or resolved. The property had a cluster of building violations in July 2005, including issues with lead paint, exterior siding, and fire escape maintenance, all of which were abated by November 2005.

Recent activity in early 2024 included a tenant buyout of $200,000 on January 10, 2024, though only one unit was involved. The building's maintenance history shows attention to basic upkeep, with historical records indicating past reroofing work in 1997 and exterior siding repairs in 1991. The property has a recent pattern of sidewalk-related complaints in January 2025, predominantly involving unregistered scooters blocking pathways and issues with garbage and debris. While the building has experienced various fire alarm system activations and service calls in recent years, no significant fire incidents resulting in injuries have been recorded. The current renovation work suggests active investment in improving the building's living conditions, though the recurring nature of fire safety violations indicates ongoing attention required in this area.

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

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Risk rating

How 31 Romolo 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
60th percentile

Out of 684 buildings in this neighborhood, 274 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
88%
No DBI
violation
12%
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 age

Older buildings tend to have more maintenance challenges; SF's pre-1906 earthquake housing stock carries distinct risk.

Building size

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

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 78.0%
Moderate concern 13.9%
Severe concern 8.1%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

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The story over time

31 Romolo St event timeline

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

2026
311 Request May 26
Amplified sound electronics
Noise
311 RequestApr 30
Amplified sound electronics

See all 17 events

Full history back to 2022 — violations, complaints, permits, buyouts, and fire incidents.

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Every record we have

Full data for 31 Romolo 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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