Free SF apartment background check

2541 California St

Lower Pacific Heights, SF 94115 0655031 8 units · 4 fl · 1900

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
At or below average
avg 1.6
0
FewerMore

This building has 0 novs (7y), at or below the Lower Pacific Heights average of 1.6.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 2541 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 1900
2 or more units
8 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
RH2
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
Units8
Floors4
Year built1900
Total area11,472 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot0655031
Ownership

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

Owner name
Palvia Nisha & Gandhi Prana
Mailing address
2541 California St Apt 4 San Francisco CA 94115
Last sale
052620

Landlord portfolio

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

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Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The 8-unit, 4-story multi-family residential building at 2541 California Street in Lower Pacific Heights, owned by Palvia Nisha & Gandhi Prana, has undergone significant renovations and improvements since its construction in 1900. The most recent work, completed in May 2024, involved updating the fire alarm system with a new cell communicator. Between 2019-2020, substantial exterior work was performed, including multiple siding replacement projects totaling over $300,000, installation of a moment frame, and drainage improvements. The building has been equipped with modern amenities, including electric vehicle charging infrastructure (2014-2021), a fire sprinkler system in the garage (2013), and a new boiler system (2011). Housing improvements were made in 2010-2012, including comprehensive kitchen and bathroom remodels in all units.

The property experienced several significant events between 2011-2013, including a notable series of building violations related to unauthorized construction of rear additions and an elevator installation, though these were all eventually resolved. There were also some maintenance issues reported, including a 2009 heat outage and various compliance matters. The building has undergone routine safety inspections, with the most recent occurring in 2023-2024, indicating ongoing oversight and maintenance. There have been multiple false fire alarms and system activations recorded, though no injuries or significant damages were reported. Recent 311 calls (2022-2024) have primarily concerned external issues such as sidewalk cleaning and parking violations rather than building-specific problems. Planning records from 2013 show some concerns regarding unauthorized work on the historic structure, but these were addressed through proper channels.

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

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Risk rating

How 2541 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
16th percentile

Out of 670 buildings in this neighborhood, 563 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.

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 34.0%
Moderate concern 61.4%
Severe concern 4.5%
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

2541 California St event timeline

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

2025
311 Request Dec 23
311 service request
Encampment

See all 9 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 2541 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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Cancel anytime · Data sourced from SF Open Data, DBI, SFFD, SF Rent Board & Planning

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