Free SF apartment background check

5636 California St

Lake Street, SF 94121 1378017 8 units · 3 fl · 1960

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
8
FewerMore

This building has 8 novs (7y), above the Lake Street average of 0.6.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 5636 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 1960
2 or more units
8 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
RM1
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 built1960
Total area5,496 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot1378017
Ownership

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

Owner name
Wong Family Trust
Mailing address
Sandra & Donald Wong, Ttes 300 Gellert Dr San Francisco CA 94132
Last sale
062707

Landlord portfolio

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

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Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

5636 California Street is an 8-unit, 3-story multi-family residential building constructed in 1960 and currently owned by the Wong Family Trust. The property has undergone numerous significant renovations and faced several concerning issues in recent years. Most notably, there are multiple active complaints from 2023-2024 regarding stairway safety, heating issues, possible window leaks, water damage, and mold problems. The building's exterior and structural elements have required considerable attention, including a seismic retrofit completed in 2017 (soft-story program Tier 3), concrete step replacements in 2021-2024, and ongoing stucco repairs. Recent building permits indicate work related to compliance with notices of violation, particularly concerning damaged walls and fire safety requirements.

The building's maintenance history shows a pattern of both routine upkeep and urgent repairs, with various improvements made to individual units including kitchen and bathroom remodels, electrical upgrades, and plumbing work. However, there have been several concerning administrative oversight issues, including complaints about work being done without proper permits and the recent expiration of stairway permissions. Multiple building violations were recorded in 2023, including concerns about fire safety (fire extinguisher maintenance) and structural integrity (stairway access). The property has also experienced some exterior maintenance challenges over the years, such as peeling paint and issues with drainage and landscaping as noted in complaints. While many historical violations have been abated, several active issues from 2023-2024 remain unresolved, particularly concerning building safety and habitability concerns.

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

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Risk rating

How 5636 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
14th percentile

Out of 660 buildings in this neighborhood, 568 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.

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.

Director's hearings (past 7 years)

Director's hearings are escalated enforcement actions for buildings that haven't resolved violations — a serious signal.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 38.5%
Moderate concern 46.2%
Severe concern 15.3%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
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The story over time

5636 California St event timeline

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

2026
Building Violation (NOV) Jun 11 Serious
A complaint investigation has revealed that permit no. 202410072455 has expired with minimal inspection history. a site inspection has revealed work has been done with no inspection history. the rear stairs are currently supported with temporary shoring. monthly monitoring fee section 110a table 1a-k
DBI ComplaintJun 11
Date last observed: 10-jun-26; time last observed: 9:00 am; exact location: main bldg; building type: residence/dwelling structural problems; work being done in dangerous manner; ; additional information: 4 stories of failing stairs being supported by plywood and 2x4's for weeks versy unsafe;

See all 16 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 5636 California 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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