Free SF apartment background check

542 36Th Ave

Outer Richmond, SF 94121 1509036 2 units · 2 fl · 1924

Nothing on record for this building in the last seven years, and our model puts it at a low risk of maintenance problems over the next 12 months. No public enforcement record to go on. Walk the building, ask the current tenants how repairs get handled, and get any promises in writing.

NOVs (7y) vs. neighborhood
Records already on file, against a typical building in Outer Richmond — not a forecast
At or below average
avg 0.7
0
FewerMore

This building has 0 novs (7y), at or below the Outer Richmond average of 0.7.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 542 36Th 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 1924
2 or more units
2 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.

Statewide backstop · AB 1482

California Tenant Protection Act of 2019

Even when a building isn't covered by local rent stabilization, the statewide Tenant Protection Act (AB 1482) may still apply. It caps annual rent increases and requires the landlord to state a legal reason to end most tenancies.

15+ years since occupancy
Built 1924
Annual rent increase cap
5% + CPI, max 10%
Just-cause eviction
After 12 months
Local rent control likely takes priority. This building appears to fall under the local ordinance above, which is stronger than AB 1482. Where a local just-cause ordinance applies, its rules govern instead of the state cap.

AB 1482 does not apply to single-family homes and condos unless owned by a corporation, REIT, or an LLC with a corporate member; to owner-occupied duplexes; or to deed-restricted affordable housing. The Act is in effect until January 1, 2030. Not legal advice — see the California landlord–tenant guide.

Building characteristics
Units2
Floors2
Year built1924
Total area3,636 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot1509036
Ownership

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

Owner name
Mailing address
542 36th Ave San Francisco CA 94121
Last sale
April 02, 2008

Landlord portfolio

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

Unlock complete report
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The two-unit, two-story multi-family residential building at 542 36th Avenue in San Francisco's Outer Richmond district, owned by Xu Jing, has undergone several significant renovations since its construction in 1924. The most recent work, completed in July 2023, involved repairing approximately 100 square feet of wood siding on the building's front facade. Prior to that, in 2019, the rear stairway received repairs costing $5,000. The property has a history of substantial improvements, including a major renovation in 2008 that involved multiple modifications such as relocating a wall to create a bigger bedroom on the second floor, adding a bathroom, converting a study to a guest room, and making modifications to the garage including creating a bigger door and adding a new family room. This renovation was accompanied by necessary plumbing and electrical upgrades, including a 200-amp service upgrade with three subpanels.

The building's maintenance record shows attention to structural elements, with repairs to both the siding and stairway, though the attempted legalization of an unauthorized dwelling unit in 2017 appears to have been cancelled. Recent 311 calls between 2020 and 2024 have primarily concerned parking violations in the vicinity of the property, with multiple reports of driveway blocking and sidewalk parking. Other service requests have included bicycle sharing operations, tree maintenance, and a housing inspection request in 2019, though no significant issues were noted in these cases. The building's permit history suggests ongoing attention to maintenance and improvement, with particular focus on updating and maintaining essential systems such as electrical, plumbing, and structural elements.

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

Free account unlocks the full analysis — plus 2× more records across all data categories and the complete landlord portfolio.
Risk rating

How 542 36Th 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

Lower risk — safer than most nearby

DBI rarely finds violations here. Strong maintenance history and a clean complaint record.

Typical — about average for the neighborhood

Some past violations or complaints on record. Worth asking the landlord about any open issues before signing.

Higher risk — riskier than most nearby

Elevated violation and complaint history. DBI has found issues here before and is statistically likely to again.

Neighborhood percentile
59thpercentile

Out of 1040 buildings in this neighborhood, 426 are predicted to be safer. The band is relative to this neighborhood, so a share of every neighborhood falls in each colour.

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

Neighborhood location

Precise location is a proxy for neighborhood-level risk — some SF blocks have systematically higher DBI activity.

Estimated permit spend (past 7 years)

Dollar value of permits pulled at this address — large recent spend can signal deferred-maintenance catch-up.

Building age

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

12-Month risk forecast
Low failure risk 14%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

542 36Th Ave apartment reviews

Real experiences from people who have lived here. Share yours to help other renters decide.

Share your experience — Help other renters by leaving an honest apartment review

Create account

Loading reviews…

On the map

Compare nearby alternatives

This building and nearby alternatives, color-coded by risk level. Click any marker to explore.

Buildings nearby
8 found
The story over time

542 36Th Ave event timeline

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

2023
Building Permit Jul 28
Repair wood siding at front side of building approx 100sqft
$4,000 · Issued

See all 1 events

Full history back to 2023 — violations, complaints, permits, buyouts, and fire incidents.

Unlock complete timeline
Every record we have

Full data for 542 36Th Ave apartments

13 SF public datasets for this parcel — permits, violations, complaints, fire records, 311 calls, planning records, and buyouts.

Side by side

How 542 36Th Ave compares to the neighborhood

This building against comparable properties in Outer Richmond. Toggle filters to narrow the peer group.

Loading comparables…
Still apartment hunting in SF?

Look up the next apartment before you sign

Search any SF address free — no account needed to see the risk rating.

Search another address Get full report
Simple pricing

Get the complete picture

Every plan unlocks the complete report: all 13 SF datasets, full history, landlord portfolio, and PDF & Excel exports.

Pay once

Report Bundle

For the buildings you're deciding on right now

$10one time

3premium reports

$3.33 per report · charged once, never renews

Each credit unlocks one building's premium report for 30 days.

  • 3 premium reports — AI executive summary included
  • Live data across all 27 public record types
  • 200 records per dataset
  • PDF & Excel exports included
  • Compare up to 10 buildings side-by-side
  • Credits never expire until you use them
Buy 3 Reports — $10
Pay once

Apartment Hunter

For a wide search across many buildings

$39one time

30premium reports

$1.30 per report · charged once, never renews

Each credit unlocks one building's premium report for 30 days.

  • 30 premium reports — AI executive summary included
  • Live data across all 27 public record types
  • 200 records per dataset
  • PDF & Excel exports included
  • Compare up to 10 buildings side-by-side
  • Credits never expire until you use them
Buy 30 Reports — $39
Most Popular Current plan
Subscription

Renter

For the weeks when the stakes are highest

$8.33/mo

5premium reports / mo

Billed $100/year — save $44 vs monthly

Renews automatically until you cancel.

  • Unlimited standard reports — 50 records per dataset
  • 5 premium AI reports per month — live data, 200 records per dataset, all 27 record types
  • PDF & Excel exports on every report
  • Compare up to 10 buildings side-by-side
  • Full event timeline — every year of history
  • Landlord portfolio & ownership insights
Start Your Search

Less than $0.28/day. Cancel anytime.

Cancel anytime · Data sourced from SF Open Data, DBI, SFFD, SF Rent Board & Planning

Watch 542 36Th Ave
Get alerted the moment a new violation or complaint is filed.