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1551-1555 Larkin St

Nob Hill, SF 94109 0621002 3 units · 4 fl · 1906

This building has a higher-than-average number of open problems nearby. A handful of unresolved issues. Worth a careful walk-through and pointed questions.

NOVs (7y) vs. neighborhood
Compared to a typical building in Nob Hill
At or below average
avg 2.4
0
FewerMore

This building has 0 novs (7y), at or below the Nob Hill average of 2.4.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 1551-1555 Larkin 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 1906
2 or more units
3 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
RM3
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
Units3
Floors4
Year built1906
Total area7,086 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot0621002
Ownership

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

Owner name
John E Wai 1981 Living Trus
Mailing address
John E Wai Trustee Po Box 641045 San Francisco CA 94164
Last sale
022018

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.

1555 Larkin St, San Francisco, CA 94109
1551 Larkin St, San Francisco, CA 94109
1553 Larkin St, San Francisco, CA 94109
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The 4-story multi-family residential building at 1551-1555 Larkin Street in Nob Hill, built in 1906 and currently owned by the John E Wai 1981 Living Trust, underwent significant improvements between 2014-2019. Major renovations included a comprehensive $652,000 interior remodeling project in 2014 that involved all 3 dwelling units, removal of an unpermitted basement unit, and conversion of space into conditioned living area. The building received substantial safety upgrades in 2016, including the installation of a new fire sprinkler system ($68,000) and a comprehensive fire alarm system ($25,000) with modern monitoring equipment, demonstrating compliance with NFPA codes and standards. Additional improvements included electrical upgrades with new lighting, switches, and outlets throughout all units, bathroom and kitchen remodels, and HVAC updates with new water heaters and furnaces.

Recent concerns include a September 2023 complaint about possible group home operation, though this is listed as "Not Active" and categorized under Housing Inspection Services. The building's safety infrastructure appears robust following the 2016 upgrades, though there was a minor fire-related complaint in September 2017 that was quickly resolved. The property has experienced typical urban issues as evidenced by 311 calls, including reports of garbage, sidewalk parking violations, and street cleaning needs, though these are more indicative of neighborhood conditions rather than building-specific problems. Two street space permits were issued in 2016, and most recent building maintenance work was a reroofing project in 2019 costing $13,264. The building's maintenance and safety record shows regular upkeep, particularly focused on fire safety improvements, with no known active violations or recurring safety issues.

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

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Risk rating

How 1551-1555 Larkin 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
33th percentile

Out of 1125 buildings in this neighborhood, 754 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
45%
No DBI
violation
55%
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.

NOV rate, owner's portfolio

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

Director's hearing rate, owner's portfolio

Per-building rate of director's hearings across the owner's portfolio.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 27.4%
Moderate concern 67.6%
Severe concern 5.0%
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

1551-1555 Larkin St event timeline

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

2026
Plumbing Permit Mar 30
Upgrade plumbing on kitchen and 3 bathroom, 1 shower pan.
Issued
Plumbing PermitMar 30
Upgrade plumbing on kitchen and 3 bathrooms, 1 shower pan.

See all 13 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 1551-1555 Larkin 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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