Free SF apartment background check

286 17Th Ave

Central Richmond, SF 94118 1417019 6 units · 2 fl · 1963

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 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 286 17Th 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 1963
2 or more units
6 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.

Building characteristics
Units6
Floors2
Year built1963
Total area4,338 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot1417019
Ownership

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

Owner name
Shirley Ng Trust
Mailing address
Shirley Ng, Trustee P.O.Box 2285 Cupertino CA 95015
Last sale
102208

Landlord portfolio

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

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Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The 6-unit, 2-story multi-family residential building at 286 17th Avenue in San Francisco's Central Richmond neighborhood, built in 1963 and currently owned by the Shirley Ng Trust, has undergone several significant safety upgrades in recent years. Most notably, in early 2024, the building received a comprehensive fire alarm system upgrade costing over $22,000, which included the installation of addressable fire alarm units, smoke detectors, manual pull stations, and low-frequency horns to meet current safety code requirements. The building's electrical infrastructure has also seen substantial improvements, with completed upgrades in both 2005-2007 including the installation of a new 400-amp electrical service and seven meters.

The property has a documented history of addressing safety concerns, particularly during a series of fire safety violations in 2002 that were promptly resolved within approximately one month. These violations included issues with fire escape ladders, combustible storage, and fire sprinkler requirements, all of which were officially abated by September 25, 2002. More recent concerns have primarily involved sewer system issues, with documented sewage backup incidents in 2021 and a recent discharge issue in November 2024, though these were resolved by the Public Utilities Commission's Sewer Operations team.

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

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Risk rating

How 286 17Th 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
17th percentile

Out of 2250 buildings in this neighborhood, 1868 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
70%
No DBI
violation
30%
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 age

Older buildings tend to have more maintenance challenges; SF's pre-1906 earthquake housing stock carries distinct risk.

Property class: mixed-use w/ SFR

Mixed-use property including a single-family residential component.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 75.7%
Moderate concern 17.9%
Severe concern 6.3%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

286 17Th Ave apartment reviews

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The story over time

286 17Th Ave event timeline

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

2024
Building Permit Feb 15
Upgrade extg fire alarm system by replacing each with 1 addressable fire alarm unit, 1 wireless communicator next to facu, 3 addressable smoke detectors, 3 addressable manual pull station, 4 horn strobes, 18 low frequency horns at all residential sleeping area to comply with sffc section 1103.7.6.1
$15,000 · Complete
Electrical PermitFeb 15
Upgrade the extg fire alarm system to comply with sffc section 1103.7.6.1

See all 2 events

Full history back to 2024 — violations, complaints, permits, buyouts, and fire incidents.

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Every record we have

Full data for 286 17Th 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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