Free SF apartment background check

687-689 Spruce St

Jordan Park/Laurel Heights, SF 94118 1065022 2 units · 2 fl · 1935

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 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 687-689 Spruce 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 1935
2 or more units
2 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
RH2
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
Units2
Floors2
Year built1935
Total area2,714 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusHome Owners
Blocklot1065022
Ownership

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

Owner name
Tran John S & Diep Jenny A
Mailing address
687 Spruce St San Francisco CA 94118
Last sale
032421

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.

689 Spruce St, San Francisco, CA 94118
687 Spruce St, San Francisco, CA 94118
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The property at 687-689 Spruce Street is a two-unit residential building constructed in 1935, featuring two stories and classified as a Flats & Duplex structure. The building underwent significant renovations from 2019 to 2020, including a major upper unit remodel that involved kitchen and bathroom reconfigurations, removal of plaster walls, installation of gypsum board, and construction of load-bearing walls. These improvements, initially completed without proper permits, triggered violation complaints in July 2020 that required subsequent permits for electrical and plumbing work in December 2020, with all related citations being resolved by April 2021. Earlier maintenance history shows attention to building safety and upkeep, with records of stairway repairs and dry rot remediation in 1992, cabinet replacements in 1994, and ceiling sheetrock replacement in 2019.

Of particular note is the current environment around the building, with multiple recent 311 calls (from August 2024 through January 2025) primarily related to encampments in the vicinity, though most of these cases were resolved or unable to be addressed directly by authorities. The property has also experienced water-related issues, with at least one report of a water leak in August 2024. The building has been properly permitted for its recent major renovations, with all violations resolved, but the neighborhood currently faces challenges with temporary street occupancy and public space usage, as evidenced by the multiple encampment reports in recent months.

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

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Risk rating

How 687-689 Spruce 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
57th percentile

Out of 272 buildings in this neighborhood, 117 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
85%
No DBI
violation
15%
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.

DBI tenant complaints (past 7 years)

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

DBI complaint rate, owner's portfolio

Per-building complaint rate across the owner's portfolio.

NOV rate, owner's portfolio

Per-building NOV rate across everything this owner manages — high rates signal pattern neglect.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 73.3%
Moderate concern 23.9%
Severe concern 2.8%
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

687-689 Spruce St event timeline

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

2024
311 Request Feb 10
Bulky items
Furniture

See all 8 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 687-689 Spruce St apartments

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

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