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639-643 Baker St

North Panhandle, SF 94117 1177002 3 units · 2 fl · 1900

This building has more problems than most buildings in this neighborhood. Few open issues; problems get fixed quickly. A reasonable bet for a smooth tenancy.

NOVs (7y) vs. neighborhood
Compared to a typical building in North Panhandle
Above average
avg 1.7
8
FewerMore

This building has 8 novs (7y), above the North Panhandle average of 1.7.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 639-643 Baker 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 1900
2 or more units
3 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
RH3
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
Units3
Floors2
Year built1900
Total area3,070 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot1177002
Ownership

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

Owner name
Tarnowka Andrew H
Mailing address
714 Van Ness Ave San Francisco CA 94102
Last sale
000000

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.

639 Baker St, San Francisco, CA 94117
641 Baker St, San Francisco, CA 94117
643 Baker St, San Francisco, CA 94117
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The three-unit multi-family residential building at 639-643 Baker Street, located in the Park North neighborhood, was constructed in 1900 and is owned by Andrew H. Tarnowka. The property has undergone several significant modifications and faced various challenges over the past few decades. Most notably, in 2023, the building experienced multiple water-related issues resulting in violations for mold/mildew on ceilings, water damage, window glazing seals, and heating problems - all of which were abated by February 28, 2023. More recent activity includes a tenant buyout at 641 Baker Street for $67,500 in April 2024 and another at 643 Baker Street for $5,000 in July 2024. Current proposed improvements include an interior remodel of the 2nd and 3rd levels with new stairs and a dormer, as indicated in a permit filed in December 2024.

The building has seen various infrastructure improvements over the years, including a 200-amp electrical service upgrade and common area panel installation in 2009, and new gas line and water heater installation in the ground floor/garage area in 2010. Earlier records show roofing work in 1993 and asbestos removal in 1994. The property has experienced recurring heating issues, as evidenced by complaints in both 2023 and 2024 regarding non-functioning heaters. Recent tenant exits and buyouts suggest possible significant changes in occupancy, with the most substantial buyout occurring in April 2024. The building's maintenance history shows a pattern of addressing various systems and structural elements, though the recurrence of heating and moisture-related issues indicates ongoing challenges with these systems.

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

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Risk rating

How 639-643 Baker 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
27th percentile

Out of 797 buildings in this neighborhood, 582 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
61%
No DBI
violation
39%
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.

NOV rate, owner's portfolio

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

DBI tenant complaints (past 7 years)

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

Notices of Violation (past 7 years)

DBI issued Notices of Violation at this address over the last 7 years — a direct record of code enforcement activity.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 17.8%
Moderate concern 25.8%
Severe concern 56.4%
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

639-643 Baker St event timeline

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

2026
311 Request Mar 23
Offensive
sidewalk in front of property
Plumbing PermitMar 09
Work category: 1m; install a direct vent gas fireplace per the manual specs. gas line by others.

See all 21 events

Full history back to 2023 — violations, complaints, permits, buyouts, and fire incidents.

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Every record we have

Full data for 639-643 Baker 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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