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1855 California St

Lower Pacific Heights, SF 94109 0648015A 7 units · 3 fl · 1924

This building has significantly more problems than most nearby buildings. A handful of unresolved issues. Worth a careful walk-through and pointed questions.

NOVs (7y) vs. neighborhood
Compared to a typical building in Lower Pacific Heights
Above average
avg 1.6
2
FewerMore

This building has 2 novs (7y), above the Lower Pacific Heights average of 1.6.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 1855 California 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 1924
2 or more units
7 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.

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 1924
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
Units7
Floors3
Year built1924
Total area10,590 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot0648015A
Ownership

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

Mailing address
3275 St Helena Hwy Saint Helena CA 94574
Last sale
042998

Landlord portfolio

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

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Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The 7-unit, 3-story multi-family residential building at 1855 California Street in Lower Pacific Heights, constructed in 1924, has undergone several significant maintenance and compliance events over recent years. Most notably, the building experienced multiple boiler permit violations, with the most recent complaint filed in September 2024 regarding the need for boiler permit renewal, showing a recurring pattern of permit compliance issues with boiler systems from 2019 through 2024. The building has faced several safety and maintenance challenges, including a cluster of violations in 2016 that required attention to smoke detector installations, carbon monoxide and smoke alarm certifications, fire extinguisher requirements, and lead hazard notifications, all of which were subsequently abated by September 2019.

Recent improvements include a comprehensive renovation in 2013 of Unit #4, which involved electrical upgrades, kitchen modifications, and plumbing work totaling approximately $22,000. In 2019, the building's peerless steam boiler was replaced, addressing an important heating system component. However, there have been recurring issues with fire safety systems, including three separate alarm system violations between 2011 and 2019, though these were all marked as corrected. The building's most recent fire safety violation from October 2023 regarding sleeping area requirements remains open, indicating an ongoing compliance issue. While the property has had various maintenance and compliance challenges over the years, most violations appear to have been addressed through corrective actions, particularly those related to life safety systems, though some open violations suggest ongoing monitoring may be required.

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

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Risk rating

How 1855 California 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
17th percentile

Out of 670 buildings in this neighborhood, 556 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
46%
No DBI
violation
54%
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 30.8%
Moderate concern 35.3%
Severe concern 33.9%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
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The story over time

1855 California St event timeline

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

2026
Electrical Permit Jan 26
Like for like electrical panel replacement required by the property insurer due to known safety recall. scope includes controlled shut down, replacement of federal pacific panel boards, termination of feeder and circuits, labeling, torque verification and replacement of 150a main disconnect.
Complete

See all 7 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 1855 California St apartments

13 SF public datasets for this parcel — permits, violations, complaints, fire records, 311 calls, planning records, and buyouts.

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