Free SF apartment background check

279 18Th Ave

Central Richmond, SF 94121 1415008 2 units · 2 fl · 1995

This building has a higher-than-average number of open problems nearby. Few open issues; problems get fixed quickly. A reasonable bet for a smooth tenancy.

NOVs (7y) vs. neighborhood
Compared to a typical building in Central Richmond
At or below average
avg 0.5
0
FewerMore

This building has 0 novs (7y), at or below the Central Richmond average of 0.5.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 279 18Th 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 1995
2 or more units
2 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
RH2
Not rent-controlled. Buildings constructed after 1978 are generally exempt from SF rent increase limits under the Costa-Hawkins Act.

Based on SF Assessor records. Not legal advice — confirm with the SF Rent Board.

Building characteristics
Units2
Floors2
Year built1995
Total area2,986 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusHome Owners
Blocklot1415008
Ownership

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

Owner name
Wong Sally
Mailing address
281 18th Ave San Francisco CA 94121
Last sale
082696

Landlord portfolio

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

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Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The two-unit residential building at 279 18th Avenue in San Francisco's Central Richmond neighborhood, owned by Sally Wong, was constructed in 1995 and exhibits characteristics typical of flats and duplexes. The property has undergone several significant maintenance and improvement projects, most notably in 2022 when approximately 2,290 square feet of siding on both the right rear and lightwell areas were replaced with Hardie planks at a cost of $30,000. This work, however, was the subject of a building complaint filed in January 2022, which alleged unauthorized construction activities including the presence of scaffolding, plywood pallets, and a porta potty, though this complaint was ultimately abated by May 2022.

The building's maintenance history includes a major renovation in 1993 involving horizontal and vertical additions costing $258,000. Recent years have seen various infrastructure-related issues in the immediate vicinity, with multiple 311 calls between 2020 and 2024 addressing concerns such as damaged sewer vent covers, hazardous materials on the street, pavement defects, and tree maintenance needs. Parking-related issues appear to be recurring in the area, with five separate incidents documented between 2022 and 2024, though enforcement officers were typically unable to locate the offending vehicles. The property's maintenance record shows regular upkeep, with most issues being resolved through appropriate city channels, though it's worth noting that the building was recently subject to multiple infrastructure-related complaints under the general "BSES" category in 2022.

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

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Risk rating

How 279 18Th 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
82th percentile

Out of 2250 buildings in this neighborhood, 405 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
89%
No DBI
violation
11%
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.

DBI tenant complaints (past 7 years)

Formal complaints tenants filed with DBI about this building over 7 years.

DBI complaint rate, owner's portfolio

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

Notices of Violation, owner's portfolio

DBI NOVs across all buildings this owner is registered on — a signal of systemic maintenance issues across the portfolio.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 86.7%
Moderate concern 11.4%
Severe concern 2.0%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

279 18Th Ave apartment reviews

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The story over time

279 18Th Ave event timeline

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

2022
Building Permit Jan 21
Remove and replace damage pine sidings with hardie planks. total area of siding on the right rear side 1570 sqft. lightwell siding on left rear side 720 sqft.
$30,000 · Complete
DBI ComplaintJan 19
Date last observed: 18-jan-22; time last observed: 1:00pm; identity of person performing the work: unknown ; floor: 2nd; unit: unknown ; exact location: main bldg; building type: residence/dwelling illegal unit; dilapidated structure; work beyond scope of permit; other building; ; additional information: pallets of plywood outside and a porta potty and scaffolding ;

See all 2 events

Full history back to 2022 — violations, complaints, permits, buyouts, and fire incidents.

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Every record we have

Full data for 279 18Th Ave apartments

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

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