Free SF apartment background check

1501-1515 Mason St

Russian Hill, SF 94133 0149008 10 units · 3 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 Russian Hill
Above average
avg 1.9
4
FewerMore

This building has 4 novs (7y), above the Russian Hill average of 1.9.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 1501-1515 Mason 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
10 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
Units10
Floors3
Year built1907
Total area8,610 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot0149008
Ownership

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

Owner name
Chow Family Trust
Mailing address
Chow Stanley W Trustee 327 Magellan 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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Multiple entrances & addresses

Included addresses

All street addresses sharing this blocklot that are covered by this report.

1515 Mason St, San Francisco, CA 94133
1509 Mason St, San Francisco, CA 94133
1503 Mason St, San Francisco, CA 94133
1505 Mason St, San Francisco, CA 94133
1501 Mason St, San Francisco, CA 94133
1507 Mason St, San Francisco, CA 94133
1511 Mason St, San Francisco, CA 94133
1513 Mason St, San Francisco, CA 94133
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The Chow Family Trust property at 1501-1515 Mason Street is a 10-unit, 3-story multi-family residential building with retail space, constructed in 1907 in San Francisco's Russian Hill neighborhood. Recent building inspections have revealed ongoing maintenance issues, with the most current violation filed in August 2024 citing peeling paint, which followed a pattern of similar violations dating back to 2011. The building has a documented history of paint-related concerns, including multiple complaints about lead paint, with the latest complaint in March 2024 describing inadequate maintenance and blighted exterior conditions. Structural and safety concerns have been recorded over the years, including requirements for handrails, stair repairs, and window replacements, though the majority of these violations have been marked as "not active" following their abatement in December 2024.

The property has undergone routine inspections approximately every 2-3 years since 2000, with specific compliance issues noted in several inspections. Recent 311 calls from 2023-2024 have documented various maintenance matters, including missing sewer vent covers and exterior graffiti, though these are generally not directly related to building habitability concerns. Planning records indicate past activity related to garment manufacturing use on the property, with approvals granted for transfers and terminations of related permits, suggesting historical commercial use of part of the building beyond typical residential occupancy. The most recent complaints and violations were addressed and abated in December 2024, though an active complaint regarding common areas was filed in March 2024 and remains open as of the latest records.

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

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Risk rating

How 1501-1515 Mason 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
9th percentile

Out of 1133 buildings in this neighborhood, 1031 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.

DBI tenant complaints (past 7 years)

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

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 29.4%
Moderate concern 40.7%
Severe concern 29.9%
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

1501-1515 Mason St event timeline

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

2026
311 Request Jun 10
Discolored
residence
311 RequestMay 27
Sidewalk defect

See all 11 events

Full history back to 2024 — violations, complaints, permits, buyouts, and fire incidents.

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Every record we have

Full data for 1501-1515 Mason 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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