Free SF apartment background check

5020 California St

Lake Street, SF 94118 1372021 6 units · 3 fl · 1947

This building has more problems than most buildings in this 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 5020 California 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 1947
2 or more units
6 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
RM3
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
Units6
Floors3
Year built1947
Total area6,060 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot1372021
Ownership

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

Owner name
Nf Limited Partnership
Mailing address
630 Taraval St San Francisco CA 94116
Last sale
033018

Landlord portfolio

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

Unlock complete report
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The 6-unit, 3-story multi-family residential building at 5020 California Street, constructed in 1947 and currently owned by Nf Limited Partnership, has undergone significant improvements and addressed numerous safety requirements over the past several years. The property completed mandatory soft-story retrofit work (Tier 3) in 2023, along with the installation of a new fire alarm system in 2023 that includes multiple safety features such as smoke detectors, heat detectors, and emergency pulls. Notable improvements include the addition of an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) in 2018, a comprehensive reroofing project in 2023, and dry rot repairs at the front entry soffit in 2024. The building's safety systems have been substantially upgraded, including the installation of a new fire sprinkler system in 2022, with works carried out in compliance with current fire safety codes (NFPA standards).

The property has a history of addressing various structural and safety requirements, including the enclosure of mechanical rooms, bathroom and kitchen updates, and HVAC system improvements. Historical violations from the early 2000s regarding illegal habitable rooms and business use in the garage space have been resolved, and the building is now compliant with all current safety requirements. A series of 311 calls in 2024 primarily related to parking enforcement and street cleaning issues outside the property have been documented and addressed through proper channels. The building's recent maintenance record shows consistent attention to structural integrity and safety systems, with all major permits marked as complete, demonstrating ongoing investment in property upkeep and compliance with San Francisco's building and safety regulations.

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

Free account unlocks the full analysis — plus 2× more records across all data categories and the complete landlord portfolio.
Risk rating

How 5020 California 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
25th percentile

Out of 660 buildings in this neighborhood, 495 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
74%
No DBI
violation
26%
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.

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.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 66.0%
Moderate concern 25.6%
Severe concern 8.4%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

5020 California St apartment reviews

Real experiences from people who have lived here. Share yours to help other renters decide.

Share your experience — Help other renters by leaving an honest apartment review

Loading reviews…

On the map

Compare nearby alternatives

This building and nearby alternatives, color-coded by risk level. Click any marker to explore.

Buildings nearby
Loading…
The story over time

5020 California St event timeline

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

2025
311 Request Sep 10
Sidewalk defect
collapsed sidewalk
Electrical PermitSep 03
Replace existing main electrical service. relocate and upgrade to 400 amps from 250

See all 20 events

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

Unlock complete timeline
Every record we have

Full data for 5020 California St apartments

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

Still apartment hunting in SF?

Look up the next apartment before you sign

Search any SF address free — no account needed to see the risk rating.

Simple pricing

Get the complete picture

Every plan unlocks the complete report: all 13 SF datasets, full history, landlord portfolio, and PDF & Excel exports.

Report Bundle

For the buildings you're deciding on right now

$10 one-time

~$3.33 per building. No subscription ever. Each credit unlocks one building's premium report for 30 days.

  • 3 full AI-powered reports
  • Download PDF reports
  • Advanced safety analysis
  • Compare multiple buildings
  • Credits never expire until you use them
  • Full public records (200 rows per dataset)
Buy 3 Reports — $10

Apartment Hunter

For a wide search across many buildings

$39 one-time

30 reports — ~$1.30 each. No subscription ever.

  • 30 full AI-powered reports
  • Download PDF reports
  • Advanced safety analysis
  • Compare multiple buildings
  • Credits never expire until you use them
  • Full public records (200 rows per dataset)
Buy 30 Reports — $39

Cancel anytime · Data sourced from SF Open Data, DBI, SFFD, SF Rent Board & Planning

Watch 5020 California St
Get alerted the moment a new violation or complaint is filed.