Free SF apartment background check

1520 Sacramento St

Nob Hill, SF 94109 0218009 6 units · 3 fl · 1915

This building has a higher-than-average number of open problems nearby. Few open issues; problems get fixed quickly. A reasonable bet for a smooth tenancy.

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 1520 Sacramento 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 1915
2 or more units
6 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
Units6
Floors3
Year built1915
Total area4,758 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot0218009
Ownership

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

Owner name
Ronald Tong Revocable Trust
Mailing address
Ronald Tong, Trustee 846 Clay St San Francisco CA 94108
Last sale
110217

Landlord portfolio

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

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Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The 6-unit multi-family residential building at 1520 Sacramento Street in Nob Hill, owned by the Ronald Tong Revocable Trust, has undergone several significant safety upgrades in recent years. Most notably, in August 2024, the building is scheduled to receive a comprehensive fire alarm system upgrade, as evidenced by both building and electrical permits totaling approximately $30,000. This follows a history of fire safety concerns, including a 1996 complaint about back stairs being used as a storage area for recyclables, and a 2016 fire alarm systems complaint that was referred to the PM Inspection Task Force. The building has a documented history of maintenance issues, including plumbing problems in 2000 (non-functioning toilet and sink), multiple water heater upgrades (most recently in 2009), and various stair repairs, including emergency repairs to back stairs in 1998. A concerning pattern of water-related issues is evident, with complaints about mold and water damage recorded in 2022 and 2002. The building's infrastructure has seen periodic maintenance, including re-roofing work completed in 1989 and lightwell stair landing repairs attempted in 1993 (permit expired).

Recent building-related activities show attention to maintenance, with the most recent improvements focused on fire safety systems, demonstrating compliance with current regulations. The property has experienced recurring issues with street conditions around its perimeter, as evidenced by multiple 311 calls between 2019 and 2024 regarding waste and debris, though these are external to the building itself. The building's violation history, while showing several code violations in 2009 related to fire safety, plumbing, and building systems, indicates these were resolved, as the status for all violations is listed as "Not active." The property's documented history suggests ongoing maintenance and safety improvements, with the most pressing current work being the fire alarm system upgrade initiated in 2024.

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

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Risk rating

How 1520 Sacramento 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
43th percentile

Out of 1125 buildings in this neighborhood, 641 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
56%
No DBI
violation
44%
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 age

Older buildings tend to have more maintenance challenges; SF's pre-1906 earthquake housing stock carries distinct risk.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 37.0%
Moderate concern 24.1%
Severe concern 38.8%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
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The story over time

1520 Sacramento St event timeline

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

2024
Electrical Permit Aug 26
Upgrade fire alarm system per ord 165-16
Complete
Building PermitAug 05
Upgrade fire alarm system per nor ord 165-16 sec 1103.7.6.1 2016sffc with new fire alarm system

See all 3 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 1520 Sacramento 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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