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1181 Clay St

Nob Hill, SF 94108 0222025 7 units · 3 fl · 1914

This building has more problems than most buildings in this neighborhood. A handful of unresolved issues. Worth a careful walk-through and pointed questions.

NOVs (7y) vs. neighborhood
Compared to a typical building in Nob Hill
Above average
avg 2.4
7
FewerMore

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

Rent & eviction protection

Is 1181 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 1914
2 or more units
7 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
Units7
Floors3
Year built1914
Total area5,678 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot0222025
Ownership

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

Owner name
Chan 1985 Tr
Mailing address
Chan David & Pauline Ttees 272 Shearwater Isle Foster City CA 94404
Last sale
031418

Landlord portfolio

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

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Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The 7-unit, 3-story multi-family residential building at 1181 Clay Street in Nob Hill, built in 1914, has experienced several significant maintenance and safety issues over the past decade. Most recently, in 2021, the building underwent a comprehensive voluntary fire system upgrade costing approximately $24,835, which included the installation of new smoke detectors, a fire alarm control unit, and manual pull stations to improve safety compliance. Prior to this, in 2021, there were concerning reports of mold and structural issues in the first-floor unit and back stairs, particularly involving a rotting hole, though these complaints were ultimately marked as not active. The building has a documented history of stair and handrail-related safety issues, with multiple complaints in 2018 regarding loose or missing handrails, including an incident where a tenant reportedly fell. This led to several corrective actions, including repairs to risers/treads and installation of proper handrails, with permits showing proper documentation of these safety improvements.

The property has faced recurring concerns about its fire safety systems and structural maintenance, with violations recorded in 2016 and 2018 related to fire escape ladders, carbon monoxide and smoke alarm requirements, and egress obstructions. While many of these issues have been addressed through subsequent permits and repairs, including a 2021 electrical upgrade, the building's history shows a pattern of requiring ongoing maintenance to meet safety standards. Earlier records from 2000 documented issues with inadequate lighting and egress obstructions, though these were resolved. The most recent fire incident recorded in the system was a smoke scare with no civilian injuries, though the date is not specified in the available data. While the building has undergone various improvements over the years, including roofing work in 2001 and multiple safety upgrades, the pattern of safety-related complaints and required repairs suggests that ongoing vigilance regarding building maintenance remains important.

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

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Risk rating

How 1181 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
27th percentile

Out of 1125 buildings in this neighborhood, 821 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
35%
No DBI
violation
65%
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.

NOV rate, owner's portfolio

Per-building NOV rate across everything this owner manages — high rates signal pattern neglect.

DBI tenant complaints (past 7 years)

Formal complaints tenants filed with DBI about this building over 7 years.

Number of units

The number of units affects how the model reads complaint and violation totals — more units means more potential sources.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 24.2%
Moderate concern 43.2%
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.
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The story over time

1181 Clay St event timeline

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

2021
Building Violation (NOV) Nov 24
Building violation
Gaping hole observed above back stairwell landing/ ceiling; repair in an approved manner. location: back stairwell (ground floor) ----------
Building Violation (NOV)Nov 24
Building violation

See all 10 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 1181 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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