Free SF apartment background check

512-516 Divisadero St

Alamo Square, SF 94117 1203019 5 units · 2 fl · 1900

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 Alamo Square
At or below average
avg 2.3
0
FewerMore

This building has 0 novs (7y), at or below the Alamo Square average of 2.3.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 512-516 Divisadero 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
5 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
Units5
Floors2
Year built1900
Total area3,600 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot1203019
Ownership

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

Owner name
Chin Family Trust
Mailing address
56 Joost Ave San Francisco CA 94131
Last sale
041897

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.

512 Divisadero St, San Francisco, CA 94117
514 Divisadero St, San Francisco, CA 94117
516 Divisadero St, San Francisco, CA 94117
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The Chin Family Trust's 5-unit, 2-story multi-family residential building at 512-516 Divisadero St in Alamo Square, constructed in 1900, has experienced several significant maintenance and compliance issues over the past few decades. The most pressing concerns emerged in 2008-2013, when the building faced multiple electrical safety violations, including illegal wiring modifications, expired permits, and safety concerns regarding sub-panels, lighting, and circuits, resulting in penalties totaling over $42,000. During this period, there were also serious fire safety violations including fire alarm system deficiencies, fire escape maintenance issues, and egress obstructions due to debris and storage. A notable incident occurred in February 2008 when a complaint about missing smoke detectors and a potentially non-functional fire system was filed, though it was subsequently resolved.

The building's history also includes several structural and maintenance matters, such as an electrical panel relocation without proper permitting in 2008, concerns about a storage shed built without permits (approximately 112-120 sqft), and importune historical issues like rotten stairs and deck replacement needs recorded in 1998. More recent activity at the property has been limited to routine maintenance matters, with the most recent building violations dating back to 2013. Recent 311 calls from 2021-2024 have primarily concerned external issues like graffiti, shared space violations, and parking matters, suggesting these are more related to the neighborhood context rather than building-specific problems. While the building has experienced numerous code violations and maintenance issues historically, the lack of recent building-specific complaints or violations since 2013 may indicate improved management practices, though it's worth noting that many past violations remained not active only after being addressed or resolved.

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

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Risk rating

How 512-516 Divisadero 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
52th percentile

Out of 305 buildings in this neighborhood, 146 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
66%
No DBI
violation
34%
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 age

Older buildings tend to have more maintenance challenges; SF's pre-1906 earthquake housing stock carries distinct risk.

Estimated permit spend (past 7 years)

Dollar value of permits pulled at this address — large recent spend can signal deferred-maintenance catch-up.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 65.9%
Moderate concern 17.1%
Severe concern 17.0%
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

512-516 Divisadero St event timeline

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

No dated public records on file yet.
Every record we have

Full data for 512-516 Divisadero St apartments

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

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