Free SF apartment background check

254 12Th Ave

Inner Richmond, SF 94118 1422030 2 units · 2 fl · 1906

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 Inner Richmond
At or below average
avg 0.9
0
FewerMore

This building has 0 novs (7y), at or below the Inner Richmond average of 0.9.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 254 12Th 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 1906
2 or more units
2 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.

Building characteristics
Units2
Floors2
Year built1906
Total area1,600 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot1422030
Ownership

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

Owner name
Lonsdale Jeffrey & Sao Tran
Mailing address
254 12th Ave San Francisco CA 94118
Last sale
050820

Landlord portfolio

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

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Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The property at 254 12th Avenue in San Francisco's Inner Richmond district is a two-unit, two-story multi-family residential building constructed in 1906, currently owned by Jeffrey Lonsdale and Sao Tran. The building has undergone substantial renovations and maintenance work over the past two decades, with the most recent work involving a complete roofing project in March 2024 costing $26,000. Between 2019 and 2020, significant improvements were made including the addition of bedrooms, bathrooms, and skylights, particularly focusing on the third floor. Earlier renovations included foundation repairs and various plumbing and electrical upgrades in 2007-2009, with improvements to both units being documented.

A notable concern arose in July 2022 when a complaint was filed regarding an alleged unauthorized conversion of the duplex into a single-family home, though this complaint was later marked as "Not Active." The property has maintained regular upkeep through various permits and inspections, with most recent electrical and plumbing work being properly completed in 2019. Two tenant buyouts have been recorded, one in 2017 for $32,500 and a more recent one in September 2024 for $17,450, suggesting either unit consolidation or strategic property management decisions by the owners. The building's service history also indicates regular maintenance of public infrastructure around the property, though these are primarily routine city services unrelated to the building's condition.

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

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Risk rating

How 254 12Th 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
92th percentile

Out of 1723 buildings in this neighborhood, 138 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
91%
No DBI
violation
9%
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.

Building age

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

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 87.7%
Moderate concern 10.8%
Severe concern 1.5%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

254 12Th Ave apartment reviews

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The story over time

254 12Th Ave event timeline

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

2024
Building Permit Mar 21
Re-roofing; install 1/2 cdx plywood on top of existing skip sheeting is under 202403218331
$20,000 · Complete
Building PermitMar 21
Install 1/2 cdx plywood on top of existing skip sheeting. reroofing permit under 202403218329

See all 4 events

Full history back to 2020 — violations, complaints, permits, buyouts, and fire incidents.

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Every record we have

Full data for 254 12Th 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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