Free SF apartment background check

2 Old Chinatown Ln

Financial District North, SF 94108 0193017 31 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 Financial District North
Above average
avg 3.2
26
FewerMore

This building has 26 novs (7y), above the Financial District North average of 3.2.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 2 Old Chinatown Ln 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
31 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
CRNC
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
Units31
Floors4
Year built1907
Total area34,288 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot0193017
Ownership

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

Owner name
Chl International Associate
Mailing address
140 Ellis St San Francisco CA 94102
Last sale
110316

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.

29 Ross Aly, San Francisco, CA 94108
852 Washington St, San Francisco, CA 94108
854 Washington St, San Francisco, CA 94108
19 Ross Aly, San Francisco, CA 94108
864 Washington St, San Francisco, CA 94108
25 Ross Aly, San Francisco, CA 94108
858 Washington St, San Francisco, CA 94108
2 Old Chinatown Ln, San Francisco, CA 94108
17 Ross Aly, San Francisco, CA 94108
860 Washington St, San Francisco, CA 94108
27 Ross Aly, San Francisco, CA 94108
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The 31-unit, 4-story multi-family residential building at 2 Old Chinatown Lane, owned by Chl International Associate and built in 1907, has experienced several significant maintenance issues and safety concerns over the past few years. Most recently, in 2023, there have been multiple fire safety violations including problems with the alarm systems, sleeping area requirements, and combustible materials. The building is currently facing boiler permit renewal issues as of November 2024. There have been ongoing concerns about the building's maintenance and habitability, including a significant complaint in 2021 regarding inadequate cleaning procedures and water overflow issues from the 4th-floor washing machine.

The property has received several important upgrades and maintenance services, including a fire alarm system upgrade with radio and low-frequency sounders in 2021, roof replacement in 2015, and boiler replacements in 2013 and 2022. Building permits show attention to accessibility improvements, such as the 2023 business entrance barrier remediation project, and various plumbing repairs including bathroom pipe repairs in 2011. Historical violations from 2013 included multiple building and fire safety issues including hallway storage concerns, damaged walls, and painting requirements. Recent electrical work includes the installation of decorative lights in Ross Alley in 2019 and various unit-specific improvements. The building has a mix of completed and issued permits for various repairs and improvements, suggesting ongoing maintenance activity, though some recent fire safety violations indicate persistent system maintenance challenges.

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

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Risk rating

How 2 Old Chinatown Ln'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 145 buildings in this neighborhood, 141 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
10%
No DBI
violation
90%
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.

Notices of Violation (past 7 years)

DBI issued Notices of Violation at this address over the last 7 years — a direct record of code enforcement activity.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 7.1%
Moderate concern 60.3%
Severe concern 32.6%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

2 Old Chinatown Ln apartment reviews

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The story over time

2 Old Chinatown Ln event timeline

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

2026
DBI Complaint Jun 18
Caller reporting this hair salon did not obtain any permit for their front staircase. a customer tripped and fell as a result.
Code Enforcement Section
DBI ComplaintJun 08
Caller is reporting that this bar does not have permits to do construction. they opened in march and have been doing construction without permit for renovations. same for the owners residence. he does not have legal permits. (311 sr 101004198258)

See all 31 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 2 Old Chinatown Ln 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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