Free SF apartment background check

5642-5644 California St

Lake Street, SF 94121 1378018 4 units · 2 fl · 1923

A handful of records on file over the last seven years, and our model sees a moderate chance of more in the next 12 months. A few records worth reading before you sign. Check whether they were closed out, and ask what was actually fixed.

NOVs (7y) vs. neighborhood
Records already on file, against a typical building in Lake Street — not a forecast
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.

The bar and the rating point different ways because they measure different things: the bar counts DBI violations already on file, the rating forecasts the next 12 months.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 5642-5644 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 1923
2 or more units
4 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.

Statewide backstop · AB 1482

California Tenant Protection Act of 2019

Even when a building isn't covered by local rent stabilization, the statewide Tenant Protection Act (AB 1482) may still apply. It caps annual rent increases and requires the landlord to state a legal reason to end most tenancies.

15+ years since occupancy
Built 1923
Annual rent increase cap
5% + CPI, max 10%
Just-cause eviction
After 12 months
Local rent control likely takes priority. This building appears to fall under the local ordinance above, which is stronger than AB 1482. Where a local just-cause ordinance applies, its rules govern instead of the state cap.

AB 1482 does not apply to single-family homes and condos unless owned by a corporation, REIT, or an LLC with a corporate member; to owner-occupied duplexes; or to deed-restricted affordable housing. The Act is in effect until January 1, 2030. Not legal advice — see the California landlord–tenant guide.

Building characteristics
Units4
Floors2
Year built1923
Total area3,154 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot1378018
Ownership

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

Owner name
Mailing address
945 Taraval St # 182 San Francisco CA 94116
Last sale
September 20, 2006

Landlord portfolio

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

Unlock complete report
Multiple entrances & addresses

Included addresses

All street addresses sharing this blocklot that are covered by this report.

5642 California St, San Francisco, CA 94121
5644 California St, San Francisco, CA 94121
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The 5642-5644 California Street property is a two-story, four-unit multi-family residential building constructed in 1923, currently owned by Eric Louie. The building has experienced several significant events, most notably a structure fire in October 2013 that rendered it unsafe and required major repairs costing $247,000 to address fire damage, including rear stair repair and kitchen cabinet replacement. Following the fire, substantial renovations were undertaken, including the installation of new central furnaces for all units (2014), complete rewiring of units 1, 2, 3, and 4 with an upgraded 400-amp service (2014), and bathroom & kitchen plumbing work (2014). The property has faced multiple compliance issues, most seriously regarding an unauthorized fifth unit behind the garage that was removed in 2003, which had triggered numerous safety violations including inadequate fire safety features and ventilation problems.

Recent concerns have focused on construction compliance, particularly regarding the rear deck replacement work in 2015-2016, which generated complaints about work being performed beyond the permitted scope. The building underwent significant improvements between 2013-2015, including structural repairs, electrical upgrades, and plumbing improvements, though several permits from this period show as expired. Historical violations from 2003 included plumbing and electrical issues, safety concerns such as inadequate smoke detectors and fire extinguishers, and sanitation problems, though these were all marked as abated within two months. The most recent activities recorded at the property (2020-2023) primarily involve typical urban maintenance issues such as street cleaning and parking enforcement, with no major building-related complaints or violations noted in the past several years.

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 5642-5644 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

Lower risk — safer than most nearby

DBI rarely finds violations here. Strong maintenance history and a clean complaint record.

Typical — about average for the neighborhood

Some past violations or complaints on record. Worth asking the landlord about any open issues before signing.

Higher risk — riskier than most nearby

Elevated violation and complaint history. DBI has found issues here before and is statistically likely to again.

Neighborhood percentile
20thpercentile

Out of 660 buildings in this neighborhood, 528 are predicted to be safer. The band is relative to this neighborhood, so a share of every neighborhood falls in each colour.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
71%
No DBI
violation
29%
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.

Estimated permit spend (past 7 years)

Dollar value of permits pulled at this address — large recent spend can signal deferred-maintenance catch-up.

DBI complaint rate, owner's portfolio

Per-building complaint rate across the owner's portfolio.

12-Month risk forecast
Moderate failure risk 29%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

5642-5644 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.

The story over time

5642-5644 California St event timeline

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

2026
311 Request Jun 20
Infestation rodent insect
Residential Building

See all 2 events

Full history back to 2025 — violations, complaints, permits, buyouts, and fire incidents.

Unlock complete timeline
Every record we have

Full data for 5642-5644 California St apartments

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

Side by side

How 5642-5644 California St compares to the neighborhood

This building against comparable properties in Lake Street. Toggle filters to narrow the peer group.

Loading comparables…
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.

Pay once

Report Bundle

For the buildings you're deciding on right now

$10one time

3premium reports

$3.33 per report · charged once, never renews

Each credit unlocks one building's premium report for 30 days.

  • 3 premium reports — AI executive summary included
  • Live data across all 27 public record types
  • 200 records per dataset
  • PDF & Excel exports included
  • Compare up to 10 buildings side-by-side
  • Credits never expire until you use them
Pay once

Apartment Hunter

For a wide search across many buildings

$39one time

30premium reports

$1.30 per report · charged once, never renews

Each credit unlocks one building's premium report for 30 days.

  • 30 premium reports — AI executive summary included
  • Live data across all 27 public record types
  • 200 records per dataset
  • PDF & Excel exports included
  • Compare up to 10 buildings side-by-side
  • Credits never expire until you use them

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

Watch 5642-5644 California St
Get alerted the moment a new violation or complaint is filed.