Free SF apartment background check

1539 Clay St

Nob Hill, SF 94109 0218023 14 units · 3 fl · 1912

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 Nob Hill
Above average
avg 2.4
16
FewerMore

This building has 16 novs (7y), above the Nob Hill average of 2.4.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 1539 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 1912
2 or more units
14 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
Units14
Floors3
Year built1912
Total area9,105 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot0218023
Ownership

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

Owner name
Donna Wong Survivor'S Tr
Mailing address
Wong Donna Trustee 275 Marina Blvd San Francisco CA 94123
Last sale
000000

Landlord portfolio

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

Unlock complete report
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The 14-unit, 3-story apartment building at 1539 Clay Street in Nob Hill, owned by Donna Wong Survivor's Trust, was constructed in 1912 and has undergone several significant modifications and faced various challenges over the years. Most notably, the building completed a mandatory Tier 3 soft-story retrofit in 2019, which included plywood shearwalls and concrete footings on the first floor, demonstrating compliance with seismic safety requirements. Recent maintenance includes the installation of a replacement steam boiler in 2017, though the building has experienced recurring fire safety concerns, with multiple fire extinguisher and alarm system violations documented between 2015 and 2023, all of which were eventually corrected.

The building has a documented history of sanitation and safety issues, particularly concerning unit 4 on the second floor, which has been the subject of numerous complaints between 2012 and 2014 regarding blocked fire escapes due to hoarding behavior, leading to serious fire safety concerns. Recent tenant complaints from 2021-2022 indicated persistent problems with mold and inadequate heating, particularly affecting unit 2. The property has also required attention to its security features, with violations recorded in 2012 for inadequate lighting and primary locking devices. While the building has made progress in addressing some structural and safety concerns through permits and inspections, including sidewalk repairs and various unit renovations, the pattern of repeated violations suggests ongoing challenges with maintenance and resident safety that have required multiple interventions over the years.

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

Free account unlocks the full analysis — plus 2× more records across all data categories and the complete landlord portfolio.
Risk rating

How 1539 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
10th percentile

Out of 1125 buildings in this neighborhood, 1012 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
20%
No DBI
violation
80%
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.

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.

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 18.1%
Moderate concern 38.8%
Severe concern 43.1%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

1539 Clay St apartment reviews

Real experiences from people who have lived here. Share yours to help other renters decide.

Share your experience — Help other renters by leaving an honest apartment review

Loading reviews…

On the map

Compare nearby alternatives

This building and nearby alternatives, color-coded by risk level. Click any marker to explore.

Buildings nearby
Loading…
The story over time

1539 Clay St event timeline

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

2025
Fire Complaint Apr 22
Extinguishers
Violation Issued
Fire ComplaintApr 22
Sprinkler/Standpipe Systems

See all 15 events

Full history back to 2019 — violations, complaints, permits, buyouts, and fire incidents.

Unlock complete timeline
Every record we have

Full data for 1539 Clay St apartments

13 SF public datasets for this parcel — permits, violations, complaints, fire records, 311 calls, planning records, and buyouts.

Still apartment hunting in SF?

Look up the next apartment before you sign

Search any SF address free — no account needed to see the risk rating.

Simple pricing

Get the complete picture

Every plan unlocks the complete report: all 13 SF datasets, full history, landlord portfolio, and PDF & Excel exports.

Report Bundle

For the buildings you're deciding on right now

$10 one-time

~$3.33 per building. No subscription ever. Each credit unlocks one building's premium report for 30 days.

  • 3 full AI-powered reports
  • Download PDF reports
  • Advanced safety analysis
  • Compare multiple buildings
  • Credits never expire until you use them
  • Full public records (200 rows per dataset)
Buy 3 Reports — $10

Apartment Hunter

For a wide search across many buildings

$39 one-time

30 reports — ~$1.30 each. No subscription ever.

  • 30 full AI-powered reports
  • Download PDF reports
  • Advanced safety analysis
  • Compare multiple buildings
  • Credits never expire until you use them
  • Full public records (200 rows per dataset)
Buy 30 Reports — $39

Cancel anytime · Data sourced from SF Open Data, DBI, SFFD, SF Rent Board & Planning

Watch 1539 Clay St
Get alerted the moment a new violation or complaint is filed.