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1864-1868 Larkin St

Nob Hill, SF 94109 0185028 10 units · 3 fl · 1913

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 Nob Hill
Above average
avg 2.4
18
FewerMore

This building has 18 novs (7y), above the Nob Hill average of 2.4.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 1864-1868 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 1913
2 or more units
10 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
NC2
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 built1913
Total area6,189 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot0185028
Ownership

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

Owner name
Thomas Ong & Betty Ong Szet
Mailing address
Szeto Mgmt Services 465 Buena Vista Ave #207 Alameda CA 94501
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.

1485 Pacific Ave, San Francisco, CA 94109
1866 Larkin St, San Francisco, CA 94109
1487 Pacific Ave, San Francisco, CA 94109
1868 Larkin St, San Francisco, CA 94109
1864 Larkin St, San Francisco, CA 94109
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The three-story, 10-unit multi-family residential building at 1864-1868 Larkin Street in Nob Hill, owned by Thomas Ong & Betty Ong Szet, was constructed in 1913 and has undergone several significant improvements in recent years. Most notably, in 2023, the building received important fire safety upgrades, including a new fire alarm system with wireless communication, sounders, smoke detectors, and horn/strobes, totaling approximately $26,000. The building completed its mandatory soft-story seismic retrofitting requirements (Tier 4) and obtained a Certificate of Final Completion. Multiple permits were issued in 2020-2021 to install ADA-compliant power door operators for accessible entrances, demonstrating compliance with accessibility requirements.

However, there are several concerning current and recent issues affecting the building. An active complaint from January 2025 reports problems with the back staircase, including insufficient lighting, inadequate handrails, and a non-functioning sprinkler system. Additionally, there are ongoing concerns about water heating capacity, with complaints in 2021-2022 regarding inadequate hot water supply for the building's occupants. A 2022 complaint noted the presence of combustible materials stored in the lobby area, while another report from 2019 highlighted multiple fire safety concerns, including expired fire extinguisher certification and various maintenance issues. The building's recent history also shows regular maintenance and compliance efforts, including a successful fire alarm system upgrade in 2023 and resolution of several fire safety violations between 2015-2026, though some problems appear to persist based on recent complaints. Infrastructure improvements have been made, including a water heater replacement in 2022, though periodic issues with garbage and debris accumulation on the property have been documented through multiple 311 calls in 2024.

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

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Risk rating

How 1864-1868 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
18th percentile

Out of 1125 buildings in this neighborhood, 922 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
23%
No DBI
violation
77%
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.

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 23.7%
Moderate concern 60.4%
Severe concern 15.9%
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

1864-1868 Larkin St event timeline

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

2026
311 Request May 12
Other
other missing
Fire ComplaintApr 08
Extinguishers

See all 30 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 1864-1868 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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