Free SF apartment background check

490-496 26Th Ave

Central Richmond, SF 94121 1457024 4 units · 2 fl · 1922

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 490-496 26Th 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 1922
2 or more units
4 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
NC3
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
Units4
Floors2
Year built1922
Total area4,950 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot1457024
Ownership

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

Owner name
Chee Mee Chin Wong Trust
Mailing address
Merchant Real Estate Inc 520 21St Ave San Francisco CA 94121
Last sale
110303

Landlord portfolio

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

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Multiple entrances & addresses

Included addresses

All street addresses sharing this blocklot that are covered by this report.

496 26th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94121
6150 Geary Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94121
492 26th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94121
494 26th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94121
490 26th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94121
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The 4-unit, 2-story multi-family residential building at 490-496 26th Avenue in San Francisco's Central Richmond district, built in 1922 and currently owned by the Chee Mee Chin Wong Trust, has experienced several significant maintenance and compliance issues in recent months. Most notably, in October 2023, the property was subject to complaints regarding improper electrical wiring and plumbing work, including concerns about a water heater installation and plumbing leaks. There was also a recent complaint about unauthorized renovations in the bar area. These recent violations follow a pattern of maintenance and compliance challenges, including multiple citations in 2002 related to lead paint hazards, building violations, and fire safety issues (all of which were abated by July 2002).

The building's maintenance history shows various improvements and repairs over the years, including a complete reroofing in 2010 costing $7,900, exterior wall repairs in 2007, and window replacements in 1993. More recent permitted work includes the installation of automatic door operators at the store entrance in late 2023 to comply with accessibility requirements. The property has also experienced some urban infrastructure challenges, as evidenced by multiple 311 calls in 2024 regarding sidewalk issues, garbage, and parking violations in the vicinity. While there have been two recorded fire-related incidents (a water leak and a building structure concern), neither resulted in civilian injuries and both situations appear to have been addressed. The most recent building permits indicate ongoing efforts to address accessibility requirements, though concerns about the bar area's renovation without proper permits suggest some continuing issues with work being performed without appropriate oversight.

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

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Risk rating

How 490-496 26Th 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
19th percentile

Out of 2250 buildings in this neighborhood, 1822 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
73%
No DBI
violation
27%
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.

DBI tenant complaints (past 7 years)

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

Property class: apartment building

Apartment building — this property classification influences expected violation rates.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 52.1%
Moderate concern 34.4%
Severe concern 13.5%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

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The story over time

490-496 26Th Ave event timeline

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

2025
311 Request Dec 19
Blocking driveway cite only
Parking Enforcement
311 RequestJul 14
Not offensive

See all 11 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 490-496 26Th 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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