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20 Romolo St

Telegraph Hill, SF 94133 0145023 15 units · 4 fl · 1907

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 Telegraph Hill
Above average
avg 1.2
13
FewerMore

This building has 13 novs (7y), above the Telegraph Hill average of 1.2.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 20 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 1907
2 or more units
15 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
RM1
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.

Statewide backstop · AB 1482

California Tenant Protection Act of 2019

Even when a building isn't covered by local rent stabilization, the statewide Tenant Protection Act (AB 1482) may still apply. It caps annual rent increases and requires the landlord to state a legal reason to end most tenancies.

15+ years since occupancy
Built 1907
Annual rent increase cap
5% + CPI, max 10%
Just-cause eviction
After 12 months
Local rent control likely takes priority. This building appears to fall under the local ordinance above, which is stronger than AB 1482. Where a local just-cause ordinance applies, its rules govern instead of the state cap.

AB 1482 does not apply to single-family homes and condos unless owned by a corporation, REIT, or an LLC with a corporate member; to owner-occupied duplexes; or to deed-restricted affordable housing. The Act is in effect until January 1, 2030. Not legal advice — see the California landlord–tenant guide.

Building characteristics
Units15
Floors4
Year built1907
Total area12,129 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot0145023
Ownership

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

Owner name
Mailing address
Steven C. Thrower 1 Bush St Ste 900 San Francisco CA 94104
Last sale
031221

Landlord portfolio

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

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Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The 4-story, 15-unit apartment building at 20 Romolo St in Telegraph Hill, constructed in 1907 and currently owned by 20 Romolo I7 LP, has undergone significant recent improvements and maintenance work. Most notably, in 2023-2024, the building completed fire safety upgrades including the installation of low-frequency sounders in sleeping areas and a new fire alarm system to comply with San Francisco Fire Code requirements. The building converted a ground floor residential space into an ADU in 2020 (now complete), and underwent substantial unit renovations between 2018-2022 including kitchen and bathroom rehabs, washer/dryer installations, and various electrical upgrades across multiple units. The building has addressed past safety concerns, achieving Tier 3 Soft Story compliance, and has responded to three fire-related complaints since 2017, all of which were found to have no merit or were corrected.

Historical records show various building maintenance needs over the years, including a 2016 lead paint violation (since abated), and earlier issues with plumbing, electrical systems, and general building conditions from 1994-2016, though these were all addressed through proper channels. Recent 311 calls primarily relate to street cleaning and sidewalk maintenance rather than building-specific issues. The property's recent focus has been on modernizing units, improving fire safety systems, and maintaining compliance with current building standards, with no active violations or unresolved complaints as of the latest records.

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

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Risk rating

How 20 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
3th percentile

Out of 684 buildings in this neighborhood, 663 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
15%
No DBI
violation
85%
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.

Estimated permit spend (past 7 years)

Dollar value of permits pulled at this address — large recent spend can signal deferred-maintenance catch-up.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 6.9%
Moderate concern 23.5%
Severe concern 69.6%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

20 Romolo St apartment reviews

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On the map

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The story over time

20 Romolo St event timeline

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

2026
311 Request Jul 18
Homelessness and supportive housing
housing homeless request for service
311 RequestJul 18
Entertainment

See all 36 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 20 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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