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490 31St Ave

Central Richmond, SF 94121 1462023 21 units · 3 fl · 1961

This building has far more open problems than almost any other in the neighborhood. Renters here report frequent, slow-to-fix problems. Get repair promises in writing and check the unit before signing.

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

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

Rent & eviction protection

Is 490 31St 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 1961
2 or more units
21 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
RM2
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
Units21
Floors3
Year built1961
Total area19,728 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot1462023
Ownership

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

Owner name
Carolan Family Trust-Bypass
Mailing address
Helen Carolan Trustee 150 Maywood Dr San Francisco CA 94127
Last sale
042798

Landlord portfolio

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

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Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The 21-unit, 3-story multi-family residential building at 490 31st Avenue in San Francisco's Central Richmond neighborhood, owned by the Carolan Family Trust-bypass, has undergone several significant safety and maintenance upgrades since its construction in 1961. Most notably, in early 2024, the building completed a fire alarm system upgrade at a cost of $61,511 to comply with current fire codes, including the installation of new smoke detectors, alarm strobe lights, and low-frequency sounders in sleeping areas. The building had previously completed a mandatory soft-story retrofit in 2014, installing steel frames and foundation improvements at a cost of $50,000 to enhance seismic safety.

Recent tenant complaints from 2023-2024 have raised several ongoing concerns, including elevator accessibility issues, property maintenance problems, and fire safety compliance matters. These include reports of a damaged driveway, stairway cleanliness concerns, and questions about fire alarm system functionality. While the building has addressed various fire safety violations over the years, including sleeping area requirements and alarm system maintenance issues, recent complaints suggest continued attention is needed in this area. The property has also experienced maintenance challenges, with recorded insect/rodent issues in early 2023 and concerns about building access during that period. The building's maintenance history shows attention to structural issues, with various repairs completed between 2002-2004 including roofing work, dry rot repairs, and interior renovations.

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

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Risk rating

How 490 31St 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
0th percentile

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

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
14%
No DBI
violation
86%
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.

NOV rate, owner's portfolio

Per-building NOV rate across everything this owner manages — high rates signal pattern neglect.

Building size

Total floor area — a proxy for building scale and the number of systems (plumbing, electrical, HVAC) that can fail.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 11.8%
Moderate concern 66.2%
Severe concern 22.1%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

490 31St Ave apartment reviews

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The story over time

490 31St Ave event timeline

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

2025
Fire Complaint Oct 20
Extinguishers
Violation Issued
Fire ComplaintOct 20
Alarm Systems

See all 24 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 490 31St 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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