Free SF apartment background check

191 5Th Ave

Lake Street, SF 94118 1365011 8 units · 3 fl · 1916

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 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 191 5Th Ave 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 1916
2 or more units
8 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
NC1
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
Units8
Floors3
Year built1916
Total area6,780 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusHome Owners
Blocklot1365011
Ownership

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

Owner name
Chan Preston Paul
Mailing address
Preston P Chan 191 5Th Ave Apt 5 San Francisco CA 94118
Last sale
082615

Landlord portfolio

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

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Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The 8-unit, 3-story multi-family residential building at 191 5th Avenue in the Lake-Presidio neighborhood, built in 1916 and owned by Chan Preston Paul, has undergone multiple significant renovations and faced several challenges in recent years. Notably, the building suffered fire damage in 2017 affecting units 1, 3, and 5, requiring extensive repairs to kitchens, bathrooms, and electrical systems in those units, which were completed under permits totaling approximately $15,000. The building underwent a successful soft-story retrofit in 2022, achieving compliance with seismic safety requirements. Recent concerns include three complaints filed in 2024-2025 regarding illegal construction/permit issues, blocked exits, and unauthorized residential use of a commercial unit, though these complaints have been marked as "Not Active" or resulted in no clear resolution.

The property has a history of fire safety improvements, including multiple fire alarm system upgrades between 2018 and 2022, and the installation of low-frequency sounders in accordance with current codes. A significant cluster of violations were addressed in 2019, including issues with stairs, smoke enclosures, and fire safety systems, all of which were abated by April 2019. The building's systems have been generally well-maintained, with completed permits showing regular updates to plumbing and electrical systems, including bathroom remodels, kitchen updates, and comprehensive electrical system improvements. Recent 311 calls (2024-2025) primarily relate to exterior maintenance issues such as graffiti and debris removal, though there are some concerns about exit blocking and construction work.

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

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Risk rating

How 191 5Th Ave'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
13th percentile

Out of 660 buildings in this neighborhood, 574 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
59%
No DBI
violation
41%
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 size

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

Number of units

The number of units affects how the model reads complaint and violation totals — more units means more potential sources.

DBI tenant complaints (past 7 years)

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

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 33.8%
Moderate concern 56.6%
Severe concern 9.6%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

191 5Th Ave apartment reviews

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The story over time

191 5Th Ave event timeline

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

2026
311 Request Jun 03
Other illegal parking
Parking Enforcement
311 RequestMay 30
Parking on sidewalk

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 191 5Th Ave 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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