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522-526 Lake St

Lake Street, SF 94118 1352020 3 units · 3 fl · 1908

This building has far more open problems than almost any other in the 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 Lake Street
Above average
avg 0.6
1
FewerMore

This building has 1 novs (7y), above the Lake Street average of 0.6.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 522-526 Lake 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 1908
2 or more units
3 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
RM2
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
Floors3
Year built1908
Total area5,640 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot1352020
Ownership

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

Owner name
Germano Gregory C
Mailing address
P.o. Box 1685 Rancho Mirage CA 92270
Last sale
012418

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.

524 Lake St, San Francisco, CA 94118
526 Lake St, San Francisco, CA 94118
522 Lake St, San Francisco, CA 94118
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The property at 522-526 Lake Street is a three-unit, three-story multi-family residential building constructed in 1908, currently owned by Gregory C Germano. The building has undergone extensive renovations in recent years, particularly in 2022-2024, with multiple significant improvement projects including kitchen and bathroom remodels, electrical upgrades, and plumbing improvements. The most recent work, completed in 2024, included the installation of 400a single phase metering system for all three units, rewiring from knob-and-tube to modern standards, new smoke detectors, and bathroom renovations. These improvements followed several building code violations and complaints in 2022-2023 related to unauthorized work, safety concerns, and construction hours violations, which were subsequently addressed through proper permitting and completion of required upgrades.

The building's maintenance history shows attention to critical systems, including a complete sewer line replacement in 2016, furnace installation, and comprehensive electrical system upgrades. Historical records from 2001 indicate previous safety concerns that were resolved, including stair repairs and security improvements. Fire incident records show several alarm activations, but these were primarily due to system malfunctions rather than actual fires or emergencies. Recent tenant complaints have primarily focused on construction-related issues and some noise disturbances related to garbage collection, though these appear to have been addressed through proper channels. The property has maintained its multi-family residential classification and has generally followed appropriate permitting processes for recent renovations, suggesting improved compliance with building codes and regulations.

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

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Risk rating

How 522-526 Lake 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
9th percentile

Out of 660 buildings in this neighborhood, 601 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
51%
No DBI
violation
49%
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.

DBI tenant complaints (past 7 years)

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

Building size

Total floor area — a proxy for building scale and the number of systems (plumbing, electrical, HVAC) that can fail.

DBI complaints, owner's portfolio

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

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 58.5%
Moderate concern 35.7%
Severe concern 5.8%
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

522-526 Lake St event timeline

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

2025
Plumbing Permit Jan 22
Ref pw20230913121- for final inspection for one full bathroom and laundry room
Expired

See all 22 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 522-526 Lake St apartments

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

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