Free SF apartment background check

3550 California St

Presidio Heights, SF 94118 1018004D 9 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
Above average
avg 1.2
4
FewerMore

This building has 4 novs (7y), above the Presidio Heights average of 1.2.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 3550 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
9 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
RM1
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
Units9
Floors3
Year built1924
Total area9,588 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot1018004D
Ownership

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

Owner name
Ng Siu Chuen & Shiu Quan Hu
Mailing address
736 Union St San Francisco CA 94133
Last sale
000000

Landlord portfolio

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

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Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

3550 California Street is a three-story, 9-unit multi-family residential building located in Presidio Heights, built in 1924 and currently owned by Ng Siu Chuen & Shiu Quan Hu. The building has undergone several significant improvements over the years, including completion of mandatory soft-story retrofit work in 2017 (Tier 3), reroofing projects in 2011 and 1988, installation of six replacement windows in 2002, and fire sprinkler system modifications in 2013. However, the property has recently experienced concerning maintenance issues, with active complaints filed in December 2024 regarding water damage and leaking ceilings, and a more recent complaint in January 2025 about mold, ceiling deterioration, a malfunctioning building phone system, and unauthorized painting work. Historical records from 2000 show previous violations related to fire safety, including concerns about fire extinguishers and egress obstructions, while 2002 records indicate issues with lead-based paint and security violations.

The building's maintenance history shows periodic attention to fire safety systems, with corrections made in 2021 for alarm systems and extinguishers. Regular roof maintenance has been performed, though the most recent complaints suggest ongoing interior maintenance challenges. Multiple 311 calls from 2023-2025 indicate various external issues near the property, including reports of debris, parking violations, street lighting problems, and graffiti. The building has undergone routine safety inspections in 2008, 2009, and 2012, though recent complaints suggest possible lapses in ongoing maintenance. While significant structural improvements like the soft-story retrofit demonstrate investment in building safety, the pattern of recent maintenance issues and active violations merits attention.

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

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Risk rating

How 3550 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
12th percentile

Out of 181 buildings in this neighborhood, 159 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
43%
No DBI
violation
57%
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.

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 35.1%
Moderate concern 51.9%
Severe concern 13.0%
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

3550 California St event timeline

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

2025
311 Request Jul 01
Garbage and debris
other loose garbage debris yard waste
311 RequestMar 06
Overgrown tree

See all 11 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 3550 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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