Free SF apartment background check

970 Geary St

Downtown, SF 94109 0693013 39 units · 5 fl · 1922

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
15
FewerMore

This building has 15 novs (7y), above the Downtown average of 6.9.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 970 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 1922
2 or more units
39 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.

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 1922
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
Units39
Floors5
Year built1922
Total area19,680 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot0693013
Ownership

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

Mailing address
The Mosser Companies Inc 220 Montgomery St Fl 20 San Francisco CA 94104
Last sale
051820

Landlord portfolio

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

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Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The 970 Geary Street building, owned by 970 Geary Street Associates, is a 5-story multi-family residential building constructed in 1922, containing 39 units. The property has undergone significant recent fire safety improvements, with two major fire alarm system upgrades in 2023-2024 totaling approximately $48,000 to comply with San Francisco Fire Code requirements, including the installation of low frequency sounders, smoke detectors, pull stations, and monitoring system. During early 2020, many units underwent interior renovations, including kitchens and bathrooms, with complete permits for Units 2, 21, 22, 32, 35, 37, 40, 51, and 55, along with steam boiler replacement work.

More recent concerning issues have emerged, particularly regarding building maintenance and security. There have been multiple complaints in 2024 about elevator non-functionality, with reports of extended outages and even a reported incident of someone getting temporarily trapped. Security concerns have been raised about unauthorized access to the building, package thefts, and a broken security camera system. There were also significant plumbing issues reported in early 2024, including flooding in the laundry room, and a cluster of complaints suggesting possible over-occupancy in certain units. The building has a documented history of fire safety system activation issues, with several recent fire complaints related to alarm systems and exit maintenance, though most were found to have no merit or were promptly corrected. While interior renovations suggest ongoing building maintenance, the recent cluster of complaints indicates potential management response challenges to emerging issues.

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

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Risk rating

How 970 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
4th percentile

Out of 448 buildings in this neighborhood, 430 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
6%
No DBI
violation
94%
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.

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.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 2.6%
Moderate concern 87.6%
Severe concern 9.9%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

970 Geary St apartment reviews

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On the map

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The story over time

970 Geary St event timeline

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

2026
Building Violation (NOV) Apr 30 Serious
Building violation
It is the property owner's responsibility to be present or direct his/her representative to attend the re-inspection as scheduled on this n…
Building Violation (NOV)Apr 30
Building violation

See all 35 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 970 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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