Free SF apartment background check

4855-4857 17Th St

Cole Valley/Parnassus Heights, SF 94117 1290024 2 units · 2 fl · 1926

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 Cole Valley/Parnassus Heights
At or below average
avg 0.9
0
FewerMore

This building has 0 novs (7y), at or below the Cole Valley/Parnassus Heights average of 0.9.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 4855-4857 17Th 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 1926
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 built1926
Total area2,310 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusHome Owners
Blocklot1290024
Ownership

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

Owner name
James D Mathews Lvg Tr
Mailing address
Mathews James D Ttee 4855 17Th St San Francisco CA 94117
Last sale
012816

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.

4857 17th St, San Francisco, CA 94117
4855 17th St, San Francisco, CA 94117
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The two-unit residential building at 4855-4857 17th Street, owned by James D Mathews Living Trust, was constructed in 1926 and consists of two stories in the Parnassus/Ashbury Heights neighborhood. The property has undergone several significant improvements over the past decade, including a complete kitchen remodel in 2023-2024 with new cabinets, countertops, and electrical systems costing $40,000, and a recent $18,000 reroofing project completed in August 2024. Infrastructure maintenance records indicate attention to essential systems, with a water line replacement in 2014 and sewer repair in 2020, though there have been recurring sewer-related issues documented through 311 calls in 2016-2020. The building's exterior and immediate surroundings have experienced typical urban challenges, including occasional graffiti (noted in 2023), driveway blocking incidents (most recently in 2025), and street cleaning needs (2017-2024), with the most recent issues primarily involving garbage and debris on the street. Historical permits show proper maintenance of the building's basic systems, with records dating back to 1996 showing previous reroofing work and various street space permits. The property's maintenance history demonstrates regular upkeep of both interior and exterior systems, with recent improvements focusing on modernization and infrastructure maintenance.

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

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Risk rating

How 4855-4857 17Th 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
94th percentile

Out of 526 buildings in this neighborhood, 32 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
92%
No DBI
violation
8%
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.

Neighborhood location

Precise location is a proxy for neighborhood-level risk — some SF blocks have systematically higher DBI activity.

Building permits, owner's portfolio

Permits pulled across all of this owner's buildings over 7 years.

Building age

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

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 84.4%
Moderate concern 11.8%
Severe concern 3.8%
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

4855-4857 17Th St event timeline

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

2024
Building Permit Aug 26
Reroofing
$18,000 · Complete
Electrical PermitJan 24
Kitchen remodel, new sub panel near main panel in trade alley. all required new kitchen circuits and lighting

See all 4 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 4855-4857 17Th 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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