Free SF apartment background check

550 Lake St

Lake Street, SF 94118 1352021L 15 units · 3 fl · 1925

This building has far more open problems than almost any other in the neighborhood. A handful of unresolved issues. Worth a careful walk-through and pointed questions.

NOVs (7y) vs. neighborhood
Compared to a typical building in Lake Street
At or below average
avg 0.6
0
FewerMore

This building has 0 novs (7y), at or below the Lake Street average of 0.6.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 550 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 1925
2 or more units
15 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
Units15
Floors3
Year built1925
Total area14,043 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot1352021L
Ownership

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

Owner name
Bush Alex
Mailing address
12 Macomber Rd Danville CA 94526
Last sale
050900

Landlord portfolio

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

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Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The 15-unit apartment building at 550 Lake Street, owned by Alex Bush, was constructed in 1925 and has undergone several significant maintenance and safety improvements over its lifetime. Most recently, there have been serious moisture and mold issues reported in 2023, with tenants documenting black mold growth around windows and plumbing fixtures, as well as problems with water intrusion and potentially compromised building materials. The building has a history of heating system issues, with multiple complaints about inadequate heat between 2003 and 2007, and more recent concerns about water damage and plumbing problems. In response to safety concerns, the property underwent voluntary seismic retrofitting in 2013, including the installation of steel moment frames, and has received various electrical and plumbing upgrades including a new boiler installation in 2013 and kitchen renovations in multiple units.

The building's maintenance history shows regular attention to building systems, with several routine inspections and remediation of identified problems. However, there have been multiple fire safety-related complaints and violations, particularly in 2003 when several fire safety systems required repairs, including smoke enclosure doors and fire escape ladders. The property has experienced frequent false alarms and system malfunctions, particularly related to smoke detectors and fire alarms, though no actual fires or civilian injuries have been recorded. Recent improvements include water system upgrades as of 2023 and various unit-specific renovations, though the persistent moisture and mold issues reported in Fall 2023 suggest ongoing building envelope or plumbing challenges. The building underwent a significant modification in 2010 when an off-street parking space was removed to provide a lobby area, and several routine maintenance and repair projects have been completed over the years, including roof replacement (1999) and various interior renovations.

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

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Risk rating

How 550 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
7th percentile

Out of 660 buildings in this neighborhood, 614 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
42%
No DBI
violation
58%
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 size

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

DBI tenant complaints (past 7 years)

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

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 23.1%
Moderate concern 47.1%
Severe concern 29.8%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

550 Lake St apartment reviews

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The story over time

550 Lake St event timeline

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

2024
311 Request Aug 01
Water leak
fire hydrant

See all 6 events

Full history back to 2022 — violations, complaints, permits, buyouts, and fire incidents.

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Every record we have

Full data for 550 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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Cancel anytime · Data sourced from SF Open Data, DBI, SFFD, SF Rent Board & Planning

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