Free SF apartment background check

3715 California St

Jordan Park/Laurel Heights, SF 94118 1037042 12 units · 3 fl · 1927

This building has far more open problems than almost any other in the neighborhood. A handful of unresolved issues. Worth a careful walk-through and pointed questions.

NOVs (7y) vs. neighborhood
Compared to a typical building in Jordan Park/Laurel Heights
Above average
avg 0.9
1
FewerMore

This building has 1 novs (7y), above the Jordan Park/Laurel Heights average of 0.9.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 3715 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 1927
2 or more units
12 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.

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 1927
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
Units12
Floors3
Year built1927
Total area8,076 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot1037042
Ownership

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

Mailing address
Steven C. Thrower 1 Bush St Ste 900 San Francisco CA 94104
Last sale
040920

Landlord portfolio

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

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Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The 12-unit apartment building at 3715 California St, constructed in 1927 and currently owned by 3715 California St LLC, has undergone significant renovations and faced several compliance issues over recent years. Most notably, the building is designated as a Tier 3 Non-Compliant soft story retrofit property (as of 2022), with a mandatory retrofit permit issued in 2016 for $85,000. The building has seen substantial unit improvements from 2019-2021, including kitchen and bathroom renovations, washer/dryer installations, and various unit conversions (e.g., Unit 11's kitchen-to-bedroom conversion). A major compliance upgrade was completed in 2020 with a $30,000 fire alarm system upgrade to meet current codes.

Recent fire safety concerns have emerged, with violations issued in 2024 regarding sleeping area requirements and alarm system maintenance, though some previous violations from 2022-2023 were corrected. The property has a history of maintenance and safety issues, including a 2005 complaint about problematic building systems (steam heating, drainage, and fire escape), though many of these have been addressed through subsequent renovation work. The building underwent significant transformation in 2017 with an ADU project permitted to add three new units, and has maintained regular updates to individual units' amenities and infrastructure, including plumbing and electrical systems. While there have been numerous routine maintenance issues, particularly regarding garbage management as evidenced by multiple 311 calls in 2024, the property has shown a pattern of addressing violations and making systematic improvements over time.

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

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Risk rating

How 3715 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
7th percentile

Out of 272 buildings in this neighborhood, 253 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
36%
No DBI
violation
64%
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.

DBI tenant complaints (past 7 years)

Formal complaints tenants filed with DBI about this building over 7 years.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 35.4%
Moderate concern 52.8%
Severe concern 11.9%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

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On the map

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The story over time

3715 California St event timeline

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

2026
311 Request Apr 23
Abandoned vehicle
Parking Enforcement

See all 30 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 3715 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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