Free SF apartment background check

232-234 Downey St

Buena Vista Park/Ashbury Heights, SF 94117 1269133 2 units · 3 fl · 1900

This building has significantly more problems than most nearby buildings. 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
Above average
avg 1.6
20
FewerMore

This building has 20 novs (7y), above the Buena Vista Park/Ashbury Heights average of 1.6.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 232-234 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
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
Floors3
Year built1900
Total area3,292 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot1269133
Ownership

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

Owner name
Hoke Karen W Est Of
Mailing address
Schmierer Caron Special Adm 1120 Nye St Ste 320 San Rafael CA 94901
Last sale
041421

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.

234 Downey St, San Francisco, CA 94117
232 Downey St, San Francisco, CA 94117
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The property at 232-234 Downey Street is a three-story, two-unit multi-family residential building constructed in 1900, currently owned by the Estate of Karen W Hoke. The building has undergone significant recent improvements, with major work completed between 2022-2023 including the installation of fire safety systems (new fire sprinklers and monitoring system), comprehensive plumbing upgrades for both units, re-roofing, and various structural repairs addressing dry rot and foundation issues. In 2017-2018, the building addressed serious maintenance violations including lead paint hazards, rodent infestations, and issues with emergency egress, all of which were documented as abated. The property had a period of significant concern in 2017-2019 when multiple complaints were filed regarding its vacant status, dilapidated condition, and illegal units, though these were resolved by January 2018.

Recent improvements to the building include the addition of radiant heating in both units, complete electrical system upgrades including new 200-amp service and three meters, and various safety-related upgrades. There was a notable safety concern in January 2022 regarding a temporary debris chute, though this was promptly addressed. The property has experienced recurring issues with parking violations in the vicinity, as evidenced by numerous 311 calls between 2022-2024, primarily related to blocked driveways and sidewalk parking. The building is currently undergoing a roof deck installation project at Unit 234, which was permitted and requires a 10-day notice period. All recent permits and violations indicate compliance with required corrective actions, suggesting improved management of the property's maintenance and safety requirements in recent years.

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

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Risk rating

How 232-234 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
19th percentile

Out of 351 buildings in this neighborhood, 284 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
57%
No DBI
violation
43%
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.

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.

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.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 27.1%
Moderate concern 45.4%
Severe concern 27.5%
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

232-234 Downey St event timeline

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

2026
Electrical Permit Jun 08
Installation of level 2 ev charger in garage.
Complete

See all 29 events

Full history back to 2020 — violations, complaints, permits, buyouts, and fire incidents.

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Every record we have

Full data for 232-234 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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