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678 Broadway

Telegraph Hill, SF 94133 0146010 5 units · 2 fl · 1906

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 Telegraph Hill
Above average
avg 1.2
27
FewerMore

This building has 27 novs (7y), above the Telegraph Hill average of 1.2.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 678 Broadway 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 1906
2 or more units
5 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
CCB
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
Units5
Floors2
Year built1906
Total area4,753 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot0146010
Ownership

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

Owner name
Li Shao Gang
Mailing address
678 Broadway San Francisco CA 94133
Last sale
071604

Landlord portfolio

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

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Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The 678 Broadway property is a two-story, mixed-use building constructed in 1906, containing 5 residential units over ground-floor commercial space, currently owned by Li Shao Gang. The building has experienced persistent maintenance and safety issues in recent years, with active complaints as of 2024 regarding mold problems, window inoperability, and lack of a fire escape. These recent concerns follow a pattern of water-related issues, including leaks and water penetration problems recorded in 2019, and ongoing drainage issues noted in 2019 that remain active. The property has undergone several significant maintenance projects, including reroofing work completed in 2007 and the recent legalization of an awning for "Good View Trading Co." as part of the awning amnesty program in 2024.

The building's maintenance history reveals recurring violations and safety concerns, particularly related to fire safety systems and general building maintenance. Between 2019 and 2021, multiple violations were documented regarding water damage, egress obstruction, fire extinguisher maintenance, and sanitation issues, though these were eventually abated. Recent 311 calls from late 2024 suggest ongoing challenges with garbage management and possible pest infestations. The property has a documented history of fire safety violations, including issues with alarm systems and extinguishers between 2017 and 2024, though most have been marked as corrected or closed. Notably, there was a neighborhood concern in 2019 regarding potential unpermitted dwelling units and short-term rental use, though this was subsequently addressed according to planning records. The building's fire incident history shows multiple false alarms and system activations, though no civilian injuries have been reported in these incidents.

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

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Risk rating

How 678 Broadway'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
11th percentile

Out of 684 buildings in this neighborhood, 609 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
37%
No DBI
violation
63%
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.

DBI tenant complaints (past 7 years)

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

NOV rate, owner's portfolio

Per-building NOV rate across everything this owner manages — high rates signal pattern neglect.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 15.9%
Moderate concern 35.6%
Severe concern 48.5%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

678 Broadway apartment reviews

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The story over time

678 Broadway event timeline

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

2025
DBI Complaint Dec 29
Leaking pipe in the kitchen under the sink
Housing Inspection Services

See all 14 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 678 Broadway 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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