Free SF apartment background check

531-545 Geary St

Downtown, SF 94102 0317027 63 units · 10 fl · 1922

This building has significantly more problems than most nearby buildings. 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 Downtown
At or below average
avg 6.9
1
FewerMore

This building has 1 novs (7y), at or below the Downtown average of 6.9.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 531-545 Geary 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 1922
2 or more units
63 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
RC4
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
Units63
Floors10
Year built1922
Total area48,340 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot0317027
Ownership

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

Owner name
Ballyhallinan Family Lp
Mailing address
2308 Edwards St Berkeley CA 94702
Last sale
112900

Landlord portfolio

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

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Multiple entrances & addresses

Included addresses

All street addresses sharing this blocklot that are covered by this report.

541 Geary St, San Francisco, CA 94102
545 Geary St, San Francisco, CA 94102
535 Geary St, San Francisco, CA 94102
537 Geary St, San Francisco, CA 94102
46 Shannon St, San Francisco, CA 94102
533 Geary St, San Francisco, CA 94102
48 Shannon St, San Francisco, CA 94102
20 Shannon St, San Francisco, CA 94102
54 Shannon St, San Francisco, CA 94102
531 Geary St, San Francisco, CA 94102
52 Shannon St, San Francisco, CA 94102
539 Geary St, San Francisco, CA 94102
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The 10-story, 63-unit apartment building at 531-545 Geary Street, owned by Ballyhallinan Family LP and constructed in 1922, has undergone several significant upgrades and faced various challenges over recent years. Most notably, there have been multiple fire safety concerns, with violations recorded in 2024, including issues with sleeping area requirements and fire safety documentation. The building has experienced recurring fire alarm system problems between 2018-2024, though most fire-related incidents have been false alarms or system malfunctions with no reported injuries. Major infrastructure improvements include a 2019 electrical service upgrade to 120/208 volt 3-phase service, replacement of fire safety systems, and elevator recalls, as well as plumbing upgrades such as steam boiler replacement in 2020 and hot water tank replacement in 2021.

Recent building history shows ongoing maintenance and improvements, including the conversion of a retail space to a take-out cafe in 2021 and several apartment unit renovations. However, the building has faced recurring issues with accessibility and safety, as evidenced by several complaints about elevator functioning between 2014-2021, emergency exit obstructions in 2021, and hoarding concerns in 2018. The property has maintained active compliance with most building codes, with recent attention to fire safety requirements including kitchen hood cleaning, electrical safety, and door maintenance. While many historical violations have been abated, the building's recent history shows persistent attention required for fire safety systems and periodic maintenance issues.

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

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Risk rating

How 531-545 Geary 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
16th percentile

Out of 448 buildings in this neighborhood, 376 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
8%
No DBI
violation
92%
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.

Building size

Total floor area — a proxy for building scale and the number of systems (plumbing, electrical, HVAC) that can fail.

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.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 7.4%
Moderate concern 85.5%
Severe concern 7.1%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

531-545 Geary St apartment reviews

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The story over time

531-545 Geary St event timeline

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

2026
311 Request Jun 05
Garbage and debris
human waste or urine
Building PermitFeb 10
Installation of a remote central station fire alarm system to comply with 2025 sffl sec. 1103.7.6.1 and 2025 nfpa 72 sec 18.4.6 sleeping area requirements. (2016 sf ordinance 165-16; 2021 sf ordinance 07721). upgrade existing fire alarm system lot compliance.

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 531-545 Geary 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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