Free SF apartment background check

2849-2861 California St

Lower Pacific Heights, SF 94115 1028025 16 units · 3 fl · 1913

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 2849-2861 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 1913
2 or more units
16 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
NC2
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 built1913
Total area21,134 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot1028025
Ownership

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

Owner name
Lafa Partners Llc
Mailing address
1489 Webster St Ste 218 San Francisco CA 94115
Last sale
041420

Landlord portfolio

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

Unlock complete report
Multiple entrances & addresses

Included addresses

All street addresses sharing this blocklot that are covered by this report.

2857 California St, San Francisco, CA 94115
2855 California St, San Francisco, CA 94115
2853 California St, San Francisco, CA 94115
2859 California St, San Francisco, CA 94115
2861 California St, San Francisco, CA 94115
2851 California St, San Francisco, CA 94115
2849 California St, San Francisco, CA 94115
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The property at 2849-2861 California Street is a three-story, 16-unit multi-family residential building located in Lower Pacific Heights, built in 1913 and currently owned by Lafa Partners LLC. The building has undergone significant improvements over the past several years, including the recent installation of a new fire alarm system in 2020. Major renovations occurred between 2018-2020, including the addition of three accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in the basement and ground floor, interior remodels of multiple units (Units 2, 4, 6, 9, 10, and 14), and various infrastructure upgrades such as reroofing and window replacements. The building has experienced several maintenance and safety-related issues, particularly during 2017-2018, including concerns about smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, a malfunctioning front door latch, and construction-related problems involving lead paint safety. There were also multiple fire safety inspections and violations noted between 2015-2020, primarily related to alarm systems, extinguishers, and exit maintenance, though most of these issues were promptly corrected or abated. The building has generated multiple 311 calls regarding various issues, including construction activities and maintenance matters, with the most recent complaints in 2022 focusing on excessive noise and parking violations.

Recent improvements to the building have focused on enhancing safety systems and adding living space, while addressing many of the maintenance issues documented in previous years. A series of construction-related complaints were filed between 2017-2019, including concerns about asbestos, lead paint, and debris containment, though these issues appear to have been resolved. The building's fire safety record shows several false alarms and system activations, though no injuries have been reported in any incidents. The property has maintained active compliance with building codes and regulations, with most violations being promptly addressed upon inspection. Recent 311 calls suggest ongoing attention to building maintenance and neighborhood concerns, with the Property Management taking steps to address these issues as they arise.

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

Free account unlocks the full analysis — plus 2× more records across all data categories and the complete landlord portfolio.
Risk rating

How 2849-2861 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 670 buildings in this neighborhood, 590 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
39%
No DBI
violation
61%
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 29.0%
Moderate concern 64.8%
Severe concern 6.1%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

2849-2861 California St apartment reviews

Real experiences from people who have lived here. Share yours to help other renters decide.

Share your experience — Help other renters by leaving an honest apartment review

Loading reviews…

On the map

Compare nearby alternatives

This building and nearby alternatives, color-coded by risk level. Click any marker to explore.

Buildings nearby
Loading…
The story over time

2849-2861 California St event timeline

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

2026
Fire Complaint Mar 10
Sprinkler/Standpipe Systems
No Merit

See all 13 events

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

Unlock complete timeline
Every record we have

Full data for 2849-2861 California St apartments

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

Still apartment hunting in SF?

Look up the next apartment before you sign

Search any SF address free — no account needed to see the risk rating.

Simple pricing

Get the complete picture

Every plan unlocks the complete report: all 13 SF datasets, full history, landlord portfolio, and PDF & Excel exports.

Report Bundle

For the buildings you're deciding on right now

$10 one-time

~$3.33 per building. No subscription ever. Each credit unlocks one building's premium report for 30 days.

  • 3 full AI-powered reports
  • Download PDF reports
  • Advanced safety analysis
  • Compare multiple buildings
  • Credits never expire until you use them
  • Full public records (200 rows per dataset)
Buy 3 Reports — $10

Apartment Hunter

For a wide search across many buildings

$39 one-time

30 reports — ~$1.30 each. No subscription ever.

  • 30 full AI-powered reports
  • Download PDF reports
  • Advanced safety analysis
  • Compare multiple buildings
  • Credits never expire until you use them
  • Full public records (200 rows per dataset)
Buy 30 Reports — $39

Cancel anytime · Data sourced from SF Open Data, DBI, SFFD, SF Rent Board & Planning

Watch 2849-2861 California St
Get alerted the moment a new violation or complaint is filed.