Free SF apartment background check

509-511 Buchanan St

Hayes Valley, SF 94102 0829004 4 units · 2 fl · 1900

This building has a higher-than-average number of open problems nearby. Few open issues; problems get fixed quickly. A reasonable bet for a smooth tenancy.

NOVs (7y) vs. neighborhood

Compared to a typical building in Hayes Valley

At or below average

avg 2.3

1

FewerMore

This building has 1 novs (7y), at or below the Hayes Valley average of 2.3.

12-Month Maintenance Forecast

33%

(risk — lower is better)

Generally fine

Estimated probability of a DBI violation or complaint in the next 12 months.

7-YEAR TREND Violations + complaints / yr

'20

'21

'22

'23

'24

'25

'26

'27*

*Next year, projected from recent activity and predicted risk.

7-Year Historical Counts

1

NOVs (7y)

1

DBI Complaints (7y)

43

311 Calls (7y)

0

Fire Incidents

0

2nd NOVs

0

Dir. Hearings

0

City Atty

2

Permits (7y)

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Rent & eviction protection

Is 509-511 Buchanan 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

4 units

Property type

Multi-Family Residential

Zoning

RH3

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

Units	4
Floors	2
Year built	1900
Total area	5,300 sq ft
Property type	Multi-Family Residential
Tax status	None
Blocklot	0829004

Ownership

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

Owner name

Rosaire Properties Llc

Mailing address

1246 Rose St Berkeley CA 94702

Last sale

030199

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.

509 Buchanan St, San Francisco, CA 94102

511 Buchanan St, San Francisco, CA 94102

Augrented Insights

Initial analysis

The 4-unit, 2-story multi-family residential building at 509-511 Buchanan Street in Hayes Valley, owned by Rosaire Properties LLC, has undergone several significant maintenance and repair projects since its construction in 1900. Most notably, in January 2016, the building sustained structural damage when a motor vehicle struck its foundation and load-bearing wall, requiring $15,000 in repairs to the brick stem wall and wood cripple wall in the crawlspace/basement, which were completed in July 2017. In 2013, substantial improvements were made including the installation of a new 200-amp electrical service with five meters and panels, kitchen renovations in unit B, plumbing upgrades, and repairs to the exterior wood deck and staircase, totaling approximately $23,000. The building has a history of addressing maintenance issues, with a 2006 violation prompting multiple repairs including stair repairs, water heater maintenance, and concerns about lead paint that were all resolved by 2017.

Recent history shows active maintenance of the property, with routine safety inspections being conducted in 1996, 2000, 2006, 2010, and most recently in 2018. The building has experienced periodic issues with the surrounding area, as evidenced by multiple 311 calls between 2021 and 2024 regarding sidewalk cleaning and garbage concerns. The property underwent various repair works and improvements over the years, including a 2008 repair of damaged decking boards and a 2013 kitchen cabinet and flooring upgrade, demonstrating ongoing maintenance efforts by the ownership. While the building has had its share of maintenance issues and violations over the years, records indicate that these have generally been addressed through appropriate repairs and improvements, particularly the significant structural work following the vehicle collision incident.

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

Risk rating

How 509-511 Buchanan 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

52th percentile

Out of 1027 buildings in this neighborhood, 493 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest

Predicted 12-month outcome

67%

No DBI
violation

33%

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.

Neighborhood (ZIP code)

The ZIP code captures local housing market and enforcement patterns that affect all buildings in the area.

Building age

Older buildings tend to have more maintenance challenges; SF's pre-1906 earthquake housing stock carries distinct risk.

12-Month severity forecast

No violation 50.1%

Moderate concern 22.3%

Severe concern 27.6%

Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.

Apartment reviews

509-511 Buchanan St apartment reviews

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The story over time

509-511 Buchanan St event timeline

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

2026

Building Violation (NOV) Jun 16 Serious

Observed a retaining wall leaning towards the street at the front of the property. wall may be failing.

DBI ComplaintJun 16

Collapsing wall. you can see how much the wall has moved since filler was put in. the exterior masonry wall is collapsing and shifting, with a large vertical crack showing significant movement away from previous filler material. this poorly maintained facade displays severe structural neglect and visible deterioration. reported with solve sf. (311 sr 101004253457)

See all 12 events

Full history back to 2025 — violations, complaints, permits, buyouts, and fire incidents.

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Every record we have

Full data for 509-511 Buchanan St apartments

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

What this is

Permits issued by the SF Department of Building Inspection for new construction, alterations, and repairs. Includes estimated cost and current permit status.

Permit #	Description	Cost	Filed	Status
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What this is

Plumbing permit applications filed with the SF Department of Building Inspection. Covers plumbing installation, repair, and replacement work.

Permit #	Description	Filed	Status
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What this is

Electrical permit applications filed with the SF Department of Building Inspection. Covers electrical wiring, panel upgrades, and related work.

Permit #	Description	Filed	Status
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What this is

Notices of Violation issued by the SF Department of Building Inspection for code violations. Unresolved notices can escalate to legal action.

Date Filed	Complaint #	Description	Item	Category	Status
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What this is

Complaints filed with the SF Department of Building Inspection about code violations. Tracks the complaint lifecycle from filing through abatement or referral.

Complaint #	Date Filed	Date Abated	Division	Status	Description
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What this is

Planning Department project entitlements — discretionary review, conditional use, variances, and environmental review for this parcel.

Address	Opened	Closed	Status	Description	Applicant
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What this is

Planning Department administrative and compliance records that are not full project entitlements — pre-application meetings, code violations, and referrals.

Address	Opened	Closed	Status	Description	Applicant
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What this is

SFFD fire incidents geo-joined to this parcel. Covers structure fires, alarms, and emergency responses with injury and fatality counts.

Date	Situation	Civilian Injuries	Civilian Fatalities
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What this is

Fire code violations issued by the SFFD. Tracks corrective actions required and resolution status for fire safety code enforcement.

Violation Date	Description	Corrective Action	Status	Close Date
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What this is

Fire code complaints received by the SF Fire Department geo-joined to this parcel. Includes complaint type, disposition, and outcome.

Received	Description	Disposition Date	Disposition
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What this is

SF 311 service requests geo-joined to this parcel. Includes maintenance complaints, street/sidewalk issues, and quality-of-life requests.

Opened	Type	Agency	Category	Details	Status
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What this is

Buildings subject to SF's mandatory soft-story seismic retrofit program. Unreinforced multi-story wood-frame buildings must meet compliance tiers.

Tier	Status
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What this is

Tenant buyout (Ellis Act pre-cursor) agreements recorded with the SF Rent Board. Tracks amounts paid to tenants to vacate rent-controlled units.

Disclosure Date	Buyout Date	Amount	Tenants
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Cancel anytime · Data sourced from SF Open Data, DBI, SFFD, SF Rent Board & Planning