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679-689 Geary St

Downtown, SF 94102 0318016B 43 units · 6 fl · 1916

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 Downtown
Above average
avg 6.9
20
FewerMore

This building has 20 novs (7y), above the Downtown average of 6.9.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 679-689 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 1916
2 or more units
43 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
Units43
Floors6
Year built1916
Total area19,188 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot0318016B
Ownership

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

Owner name
Sf 685 Geary Street Llc
Mailing address
Steven C. Thrower 1 Bush St Ste 900 San Francisco CA 94104
Last sale
042721

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.

685 Geary St, San Francisco, CA 94102
687 Geary St, San Francisco, CA 94102
679 Geary St, San Francisco, CA 94102
689 Geary St, San Francisco, CA 94102
681 Geary St, San Francisco, CA 94102
683 Geary St, San Francisco, CA 94102
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The 43-unit, 6-story multi-family residential building at 679-689 Geary Street, owned by SF 685 Geary Street LLC, has experienced several maintenance and compliance issues in recent years. Most notably, there have been recurring rodent infestations (with reports in 2023-2024), multiple fire safety violations (including alarm and sprinkler system issues in 2024), and recent maintenance concerns regarding the hot water system and boiler permits as of early 2024. The building has undergone significant renovation work over the past few years, including unit improvements (kitchens, bathrooms, washer/dryer installations), accessibility upgrades, and a fire alarm system replacement in 2022. However, several open violations remain, including a December 2023 issue related to sleeping area requirements. The property has a history of infrastructure challenges, evidenced by multiple elevator rescue incidents and fire system maintenance concerns. Recent permits indicate ongoing maintenance efforts, such as a planned boiler replacement and apartment renovations, though some historical violations from 2008-2012 related to various building systems (elevator, fire alarms, etc.) were previously addressed. The building's commercial spaces have also required attention, with multiple permits in 2022 for accessibility upgrades and a vacant storefront complaint from 2023.

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

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Risk rating

How 679-689 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
1th percentile

Out of 448 buildings in this neighborhood, 444 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
5%
No DBI
violation
95%
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.

DBI tenant complaints (past 7 years)

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

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 4.6%
Moderate concern 66.2%
Severe concern 29.2%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

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The story over time

679-689 Geary St event timeline

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

2026
311 Request Jun 07
Garbage and debris
human waste or urine
311 RequestMay 30
Garbage and debris

See all 41 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 679-689 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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