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491 31St Ave

Central Richmond, SF 94121 1463053

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
11
FewerMore

This building has 11 novs (7y), above the Central Richmond average of 0.5.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 491 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 1973
2 or more units
? units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
RH2
Possibly exempt. Built before 1979 but single-unit — single-family homes and condos may be exempt from the SF Rent Ordinance.

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

Building characteristics
Units
Floors5
Year built1973
Total area
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot1463053
Ownership

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

Owner name
491 31St Ave Lp
Mailing address
John Stewart Co 1388 Sutter St 11Th Flr San Francisco CA 94109
Last sale
061820

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.

6700 Geary Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94121
491 31st Ave, San Francisco, CA 94121
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The five-story, 15-unit multi-family residential building at 491 31st Avenue in the Central Richmond neighborhood, built in 1973 and currently owned by 491 31st Ave Lp, has experienced several significant maintenance and safety issues in recent months. Most notably, in early 2024, there was a substantial water intrusion problem affecting units 312 and 412, which required multiple repair permits totaling over $36,000, including drywall, insulation, and plumbing work. This incident triggered several complaints about building conditions, including issues with heat and hot water systems in January 2024, and concerns about possible mold and building stability due to water damage. The building has a documented history of fire safety system upgrades and maintenance, including recent ERRCS (Emergency Responder Radio Coverage System) installations in 2019 and a comprehensive fire alarm system replacement in 2018.

The property has faced recurring mechanical system challenges, particularly with heating and hot water systems, as evidenced by multiple complaints in 2024 regarding inadequate hot water and heating. Recent violations and complaints also indicated issues with building maintenance, including damaged walls, ceilings, and lighting systems that required attention. The building underwent significant infrastructure improvements in recent years, including boiler and water heater replacements between 2016 and 2024, emergency systems upgrades, and various plumbing and electrical system enhancements. While many historical fire safety violations have been corrected, recent citations in 2024 regarding the alarm system and ERRCS permit compliance have been noted. Additionally, there have been periodic complaints about basic building systems and maintenance, such as window operation and general upkeep.

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

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Risk rating

How 491 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
10%
No DBI
violation
90%
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.

NOV rate, owner's portfolio

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

Director's hearing rate, owner's portfolio

Per-building rate of director's hearings across the owner's portfolio.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 5.4%
Moderate concern 88.1%
Severe concern 6.5%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

491 31St Ave apartment reviews

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The story over time

491 31St Ave event timeline

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

2026
311 Request Apr 29
Illegal construction no permit exceeds permit scope
Residential Building
311 RequestApr 29
Bathroom

See all 32 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 491 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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