Free SF apartment background check

221 Downey St

Buena Vista Park/Ashbury Heights, SF 94117 1269116 3 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 Buena Vista Park/Ashbury Heights
At or below average
avg 1.6
0
FewerMore

This building has 0 novs (7y), at or below the Buena Vista Park/Ashbury Heights average of 1.6.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 221 Downey 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
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
Units3
Floors2
Year built1900
Total area2,301 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot1269116
Ownership

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

Owner name
Lopatin Scott
Mailing address
38 N Almaden Blvd #1423 San Jose CA 95110
Last sale
062719

Landlord portfolio

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

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Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The three-unit residential building at 221 Downey St in Buena Vista Park, owned by Scott Lopatin, is a two-story flats and duplex structure built in 1900. The property has undergone several significant improvements over the past two decades, with the most recent including efforts to legalize additional living spaces, such as an in-law unit (in progress as of 2019) and a third-floor bedroom in unit #3 (currently on hold). In 2013, major safety upgrades were completed with the replacement of four Federal Pacific electric panels and reroofing work valued at $15,650. The building has seen substantial unit-specific renovations, including a $20,000 kitchen remodel in unit #2 in 2012 that encompassed new cabinets, countertop, sink, appliances, and energy-efficient lighting. This period also included comprehensive plumbing improvements, such as water heater installations and various kitchen and bathroom updates across multiple units.

The property has maintained regular upkeep with no recorded safety violations, though it has experienced various minor quality-of-life issues typical for the area. These include several parking-related incidents (including blocked driveways and illegal parking), occasional garbage concerns, and one noise complaint related to a major event venue. Most of these issues were resolved promptly through appropriate channels, and there are no ongoing legal or safety concerns noted in the recent history of the building. The property's maintenance record shows consistent attention to necessary upgrades and repairs, with all major permits marked as complete, indicating proper adherence to regulatory requirements.

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

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Risk rating

How 221 Downey 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 351 buildings in this neighborhood, 168 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
79%
No DBI
violation
21%
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 age

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

Construction spend, owner's portfolio

Estimated permit value across all of this owner's buildings.

Owner's portfolio size

Number of SF parcels this owner is registered on — larger portfolios have distinct risk patterns.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 76.1%
Moderate concern 15.7%
Severe concern 8.2%
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

221 Downey St event timeline

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

2024
311 Request Aug 18
Major event venue
Noise

See all 6 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 221 Downey 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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