Free SF apartment background check

770 California St

Financial District North, SF 94108 0242013 52 units · 6 fl · 1927

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
At or below average
avg 3.2
0
FewerMore

This building has 0 novs (7y), at or below the Financial District North average of 3.2.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 770 California 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 1927
2 or more units
52 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
RM4
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
Units52
Floors6
Year built1927
Total area28,440 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot0242013
Ownership

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

Owner name
Alhambra Associates Llc
Mailing address
1717 Powell St San Francisco CA 94133
Last sale
080420

Landlord portfolio

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

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Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The 52-unit, 6-story multi-family residential building at 770 California Street, owned by Alhambra Associates LLC, has undergone significant recent improvements following persistent heating system issues. In 2021, the building experienced a notable heating crisis with no heat for an extended period, leading to the replacement of the steam heating boiler. The property, constructed in 1927, has seen substantial unit upgrades between 2018-2022, including four complete unit remodels (Units 306, 506, 508, and 408), installation of new smoke detection systems throughout, elevator modernization, and plumbing improvements including the installation of new domestic hot water boilers. Multiple elevator-related complaints were recorded in 2015-2017, culminating in successful modernization work completed in 2017.

The building has experienced recurring heating system challenges, with multiple complaints about inadequate heat between 2009-2021, though recent boiler replacement appears to have addressed these issues. There have been several safety-related incidents worth noting, including a 2018 complaint about blocked exits and various alarm system violations between 2008-2022, all of which were subsequently corrected. Recent complaints from late 2024 indicate ongoing maintenance challenges, with reports of public nuisance, garbage issues, and various health-related concerns including mold and mildew, though many of these cases have been resolved through city intervention. The building underwent significant fire safety improvements in 2018-2019, including installation of low-frequency sounders and smoke detectors throughout all units to comply with San Francisco Fire Code requirements. While historical violations from the early 2000s regarding fire safety and heating systems were noted, all these issues were resolved by November 2000 according to the records.

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

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Risk rating

How 770 California 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
9th percentile

Out of 145 buildings in this neighborhood, 132 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
13%
No DBI
violation
87%
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.

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 6.6%
Moderate concern 85.1%
Severe concern 8.2%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

770 California St apartment reviews

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The story over time

770 California St event timeline

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

2026
DBI Complaint Jun 15
The toilet is backed up for beyond a simple fix. the landlord has been made aware of the issue but will not respond.
Housing Inspection Services
311 RequestApr 20
Garbage and debris

See all 26 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 770 California 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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