Free SF apartment background check

390 29Th Ave

Central Richmond, SF 94121 1405028 12 units · 3 fl · 1925

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 Central Richmond
Above average
avg 0.5
1
FewerMore

This building has 1 novs (7y), above the Central Richmond average of 0.5.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 390 29Th 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 1925
2 or more units
12 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 1925
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
Units12
Floors3
Year built1925
Total area11,274 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot1405028
Ownership

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

Owner name
Mailing address
Steven C. Thrower 1 Bush St Ste 900 San Francisco CA 94104
Last sale
052621

Landlord portfolio

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

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Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

390 29th Avenue is a 3-story, 12-unit multi-family residential building constructed in 1925, currently owned by 390 29th I6 LP. The property has undergone significant renovations and improvements over the past few years, including the controversial addition of four ADUs at the ground level in 2021-2023, installation of new fire safety systems, and numerous unit upgrades. Between 2022-2023, several units received substantial improvements, including kitchen and bathroom rehabilitations, washer/dryer installations, and electrical upgrades, with notable projects in Units 2, 4, and 11 costing between $5,000 to $40,000. The building successfully completed its mandatory Soft Story retrofit (Tier 3) with a Certificate of Final Completion issued, demonstrating compliance with seismic safety requirements.

The property has experienced several construction-related issues and building complaints between 2018-2022, particularly concerning unauthorized work, construction dust, and water system problems. Multiple complaints were filed regarding potential asbestos risks, construction debris, and unpermitted unit conversions, though these complaints have since been marked as not active. Fire safety inspections in late 2022 identified issues with extinguishers and exit maintenance, though these were subsequently corrected. Historical violations from 2003 (now resolved) included various safety concerns such as lead paint hazards, fire escape maintenance, and security requirements. The building's recent renovation history includes the installation of a new 400-amp main service system, comprehensive fire alarm upgrades to meet current codes, and various unit-specific improvements, demonstrating ongoing maintenance and modernization efforts despite past compliance issues.

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

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Risk rating

How 390 29Th 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 2250 buildings in this neighborhood, 2205 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.

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 24.7%
Moderate concern 69.6%
Severe concern 5.7%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

390 29Th Ave apartment reviews

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On the map

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The story over time

390 29Th Ave event timeline

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

2026
311 Request Apr 18
Garbage and debris
furniture

See all 28 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 390 29Th 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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