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1534 Clay St

Nob Hill, SF 94109 0217006 12 units · 3 fl · 1916

This building has more problems than most buildings in this 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 Nob Hill
At or below average
avg 2.4
0
FewerMore

This building has 0 novs (7y), at or below the Nob Hill average of 2.4.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 1534 Clay 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 1916
2 or more units
12 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
RM3
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
Units12
Floors3
Year built1916
Total area7,813 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot0217006
Ownership

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

Owner name
Lim Family Trust
Mailing address
Lim Edmond M & Annette Trus 650 Chestnut St Apt 201 San Francisco CA 94133
Last sale
011597

Landlord portfolio

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

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Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The three-story, 12-unit multi-family residential building at 1534 Clay Street in Nob Hill, owned by the Lim Family Trust, has a mixed maintenance and compliance history since its construction in 1916. Most recently, in November 2023, a fire system replacement was filed to upgrade horns to meet current fire code requirements, though this work appears not to have a associated cost. In early 2024, a violation was issued regarding alarm system maintenance, though this appears to have been abated shortly thereafter. The building has experienced several significant maintenance issues over the years, including a substantial plumbing problem reported in January 2013 involving leaks affecting multiple apartments and non-functioning fixtures. A series of violations in May 2009 highlighted various safety concerns that were subsequently addressed, including issues with fire extinguishers, egress obstruction, security devices, and heating systems. The property has also faced recurring fire safety concerns, with multiple fire-related violations and complaints recorded between 2022 and 2024, though most were found to have no merit or were abated.

The building's maintenance history includes some positive developments, such as the recent fire system upgrade, and the property management has generally addressed violations once they are issued. However, there are recurring issues with fire safety equipment and alarm systems, as evidenced by multiple recent complaints about fire alarms, including a "chirping" alarm reported in March 2024. The building's roof work from 1997 appears to be the last documented roof maintenance on record. Parking enforcement issues have been documented regularly near the property, with several citations issued for blocking driveways between 2020 and 2024, though these are external to the building's maintenance and safety concerns.

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

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Risk rating

How 1534 Clay 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
20th percentile

Out of 1125 buildings in this neighborhood, 900 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
25%
No DBI
violation
75%
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 14.9%
Moderate concern 53.5%
Severe concern 31.6%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

1534 Clay St apartment reviews

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The story over time

1534 Clay St event timeline

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

2025
311 Request Sep 08
Blocking driveway cite only
Parking Enforcement
Electrical PermitJul 26
Online electrical permit: 1 of buildings with more than 12 dwelling units and non-residential occupany - building up to 3 floors. modification of an existing fire alarm system by upgrading the fire panel, update all existing devices to be compatible with new facp and pr

See all 13 events

Full history back to 2022 — violations, complaints, permits, buyouts, and fire incidents.

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Every record we have

Full data for 1534 Clay 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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