Free SF apartment background check

500 Grant Ave

Financial District North, SF 94108 0258012 5 units · 3 fl · 1910

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 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 500 Grant Ave 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 1910
2 or more units
5 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
CCB
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.

Statewide backstop · AB 1482

California Tenant Protection Act of 2019

Even when a building isn't covered by local rent stabilization, the statewide Tenant Protection Act (AB 1482) may still apply. It caps annual rent increases and requires the landlord to state a legal reason to end most tenancies.

15+ years since occupancy
Built 1910
Annual rent increase cap
5% + CPI, max 10%
Just-cause eviction
After 12 months
Local rent control likely takes priority. This building appears to fall under the local ordinance above, which is stronger than AB 1482. Where a local just-cause ordinance applies, its rules govern instead of the state cap.

AB 1482 does not apply to single-family homes and condos unless owned by a corporation, REIT, or an LLC with a corporate member; to owner-occupied duplexes; or to deed-restricted affordable housing. The Act is in effect until January 1, 2030. Not legal advice — see the California landlord–tenant guide.

Building characteristics
Units5
Floors3
Year built1910
Total area2,964 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot0258012
Ownership

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

Mailing address
500 Grant Ave San Francisco CA 94108
Last sale
091919

Landlord portfolio

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

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Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The 500 Grant Avenue building, also known as the China Gem Hotel, is a three-story multi-family residential property with 5 units, constructed in 1910 and currently owned by 500 Grant Avenue LLC. The building has undergone numerous modifications to its wireless facilities over the years, primarily related to AT&T equipment installation and maintenance, with the most recent work completed in 2020 involving antenna modifications and equipment updates costing approximately $11,000. The property has experienced recurring fire safety issues, with multiple fire code violations documented annually from 2018 through 2024, including problems with alarm systems, fire extinguishers, illumination, and emergency documentation, though all have been subsequently abated. Between 2024 and 2025, there have been several maintenance-related 311 calls regarding street cleaning and graffiti on or near the property. The building's electrical infrastructure has been updated multiple times, with significant work in 2004 including service relocation and panel installations, as well as various cell site equipment upgrades. While the building has experienced repeated fire safety violations, it's worth noting that all have been addressed and abated, and there have been no reported fire incidents causing civilian injuries.

The property has maintained its core residential function while serving as a location for telecommunications equipment, with regular maintenance and upgrades to both building systems and wireless infrastructure. Recent months have shown some external maintenance issues on the surrounding property, particularly regarding street cleaning, though these are not uncommon in the area. The building has undergone various structural and system improvements over the years, including reroofing in 2013 and multiple antenna installations and removals between 2004 and 2020, demonstrating ongoing maintenance of both residential and commercial aspects of the property.

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

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Risk rating

How 500 Grant Ave'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
84th percentile

Out of 145 buildings in this neighborhood, 23 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
82%
No DBI
violation
18%
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 age

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

Estimated permit spend (past 7 years)

Dollar value of permits pulled at this address — large recent spend can signal deferred-maintenance catch-up.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 63.0%
Moderate concern 24.5%
Severe concern 12.5%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

500 Grant Ave apartment reviews

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On the map

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The story over time

500 Grant Ave event timeline

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

2026
311 Request Jun 30
Not offensive
signal box
311 RequestJun 12
Not offensive

See all 11 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 500 Grant Ave 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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