Free SF apartment background check

2656 Van Ness Ave

Russian Hill, SF 94109 0523015A 19 units · 3 fl · 1925

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 Russian Hill
Above average
avg 1.9
2
FewerMore

This building has 2 novs (7y), above the Russian Hill average of 1.9.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 2656 Van Ness 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 1925
2 or more units
19 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
RC3
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
Units19
Floors3
Year built1925
Total area15,684 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot0523015A
Ownership

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

Owner name
Sf Multifamily Iv Property
Mailing address
Ballast Investments 49 Powell St Fl 4 San Francisco CA 94102
Last sale
040621

Landlord portfolio

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

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Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

2656 Van Ness Avenue is a 19-unit, 3-story multi-family residential building constructed in 1925, currently managed by SF Multifamily IV Property. The property has undergone significant upgrades and renovations in recent years, with the most critical being the 2022 fire alarm system upgrade to meet current codes and the pending soft-story retrofit permit filed in 2022. A substantial renovation project was filed in 2020 to add four new units on the first level, converting the existing garage space, with associated upgrades to electrical (400-amp service installation) and fire safety systems, though this permit status remains as "Filed." Between 2017 and 2020, multiple individual unit renovations were completed, including comprehensive upgrades to bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchens, and laundry facilities in units #1, #2, #3, #6, #9, #10, #11, #14, #15, #16, and #17, typically involving new fixtures, appliances, and electrical systems.

The building experienced a significant hot water outage affecting all units in January 2017, lasting approximately five days, which generated multiple resident complaints. Several building violations from 2001 and 2012 were recorded regarding boiler operation permits, mold/mildew issues, window repairs, stair repairs, and fire escape obstructions, though all were subsequently abated, with records indicating a 2007 resolution date for violations. More recent complaints include construction-related COVID-19 safety concerns in October 2020 and a garbage chute blockage in July 2018. The property has shown consistent attention to safety and modernization, with recent zoning verification letters and ongoing compliance updates, including the installation of low-frequency sounders in sleeping areas as per the latest fire safety requirements. Recent 311 calls from December 2024 suggest ongoing challenges with waste management, though these appear to be street-level rather than building-specific issues.

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

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Risk rating

How 2656 Van Ness 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
7th percentile

Out of 1133 buildings in this neighborhood, 1054 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
21%
No DBI
violation
79%
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.

NOV rate, owner's portfolio

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

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 12.9%
Moderate concern 81.9%
Severe concern 5.2%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

2656 Van Ness Ave apartment reviews

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The story over time

2656 Van Ness Ave event timeline

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

2026
Building Violation (NOV) Mar 02
No permit to operate the boiler. serial no 1204339316, cmc 1022. monthly monitoring fee applies. code sec: sfbc 110a, table 1a-k
Building Violation (NOV)Mar 02
No permit to operate the boiler. serial no 694660-201308, cmc 1022. monthly monitoring fee applies. code sec: sfbc 110a, table 1a-k

See all 24 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 2656 Van Ness 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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