Free SF apartment background check

3852-3862 California St

Presidio Heights, SF 94118 1015017 16 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 Presidio Heights
At or below average
avg 1.2
0
FewerMore

This building has 0 novs (7y), at or below the Presidio Heights average of 1.2.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 3852-3862 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
16 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
RM2
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
Units16
Floors3
Year built1924
Total area14,188 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot1015017
Ownership

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

Owner name
Amelion Properties Iv Llc
Mailing address
2289 Filbert St San Francisco CA 94123
Last sale
021319

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.

3854 California St, San Francisco, CA 94118
3856 California St, San Francisco, CA 94118
3860 California St, San Francisco, CA 94118
3852 California St, San Francisco, CA 94118
3862 California St, San Francisco, CA 94118
3858 California St, San Francisco, CA 94118
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The three-story, 16-unit multi-family residential building at 3852-3862 California Street, owned by Amelion Properties IV LLC, has undergone significant renovations and improvements since its construction in 1924. The property has seen substantial unit-specific upgrades in recent years, with multiple kitchen and bathroom remodels in Units 1 and 3, including recent work valued at $48,000 in November 2024. A crucial safety improvement was completed in 2023 with the upgrade of the fire alarm system to comply with current San Francisco Fire Code requirements, though a subsequent violation related to sleeping area requirements was issued and abated in December 2023. The building has demonstrated ongoing maintenance and modernization efforts, including substantial electrical upgrades, plumbing improvements, and addressing structural issues, such as a 2019 project to investigate potential dry rot in approximately 700 square feet of exterior stucco.

The property has encountered various maintenance challenges over its history, with notable issues in 2008 including drainage pipe repairs, kitchen cabinet maintenance, wall repairs, and exterior painting. A concerning pattern of moisture-related problems emerged between 1995 and 2016, with multiple complaints about heating issues, including inadequate gas heater performance and lack of proper heat in units, as well as instances of mold and water intrusion affecting various units. While the building has experienced three fire-related incidents (all false alarms or system malfunctions) and four fire violations between 2018 and 2023, these were primarily related to system maintenance rather than actual fires. The most recent fire violation regarding sleeping area requirements was promptly addressed, demonstrating responsiveness to safety concerns. The building is categorized as a Tier 2 soft-story building, with work completed and a certificate of final completion issued, indicating compliance with seismic safety requirements.

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

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Risk rating

How 3852-3862 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
18th percentile

Out of 181 buildings in this neighborhood, 148 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
48%
No DBI
violation
52%
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.

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 46.1%
Moderate concern 33.2%
Severe concern 20.7%
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

3852-3862 California St event timeline

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

2025
Fire Complaint Mar 24
Ul Cert Verification
Condition Corrected

See all 18 events

Full history back to 2021 — violations, complaints, permits, buyouts, and fire incidents.

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Every record we have

Full data for 3852-3862 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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