Free SF apartment background check

140 20Th Ave

Lake Street, SF 94121 1379030 18 units · 3 fl · 1927

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
Above average
avg 0.6
3
FewerMore

This building has 3 novs (7y), above the Lake Street average of 0.6.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 140 20Th 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 1927
2 or more units
18 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
RH2
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 1927
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
Units18
Floors3
Year built1927
Total area18,870 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot1379030
Ownership

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

Mailing address
49 Powell St Fl 4 San Francisco CA 94102
Last sale
033021

Landlord portfolio

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

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Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The 18-unit, 3-story multi-family residential building at 140 20th Avenue, constructed in 1927, has undergone several significant renovations and improvements over recent years. Most notably, there is a current permit pending (filed January 2021) to add three units on the first level by converting existing parking spaces. Between 2018 and 2020, the building saw substantial interior upgrades including the renovation of units 104, 106, 202, and 306, with improvements to bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchens, and electrical systems, along with a comprehensive fire alarm system upgrade to meet 2021 code requirements. Recent maintenance issues have emerged, with complaints in late 2022 about water heating problems and ceiling leaks in unit 104, and a current open violation (as of December 2023) related to sleeping area requirements.

The building has a history of fire safety concerns, particularly in the mid-2000s, with multiple violations regarding fire escapes, combustible storage, and fire proofing that were resolved by October 2006. A more recent fire escape violation was logged in September 2022 but was determined to have no merit. The property has also experienced some tenant concerns during construction periods, notably in March 2020 regarding social distancing compliance. While the building appears to be well-maintained overall, with numerous modernization projects completed in recent years, the current open violation regarding sleeping area requirements and recent maintenance issues suggest there are still some outstanding compliance matters that need attention.

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

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Risk rating

How 140 20Th 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
2th percentile

Out of 660 buildings in this neighborhood, 647 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
32%
No DBI
violation
68%
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 23.6%
Moderate concern 63.9%
Severe concern 12.4%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

140 20Th Ave apartment reviews

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On the map

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The story over time

140 20Th Ave event timeline

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

2026
311 Request Jun 24
Garbage and debris
furniture
311 RequestJun 21
Garbage and debris

See all 30 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 140 20Th 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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