Free SF apartment background check

578 26Th Ave

Central Richmond, SF 94121 1519025 12 units · 3 fl · 1926

This building has far more open problems than almost any other in the neighborhood. A handful of unresolved issues. Worth a careful walk-through and pointed questions.

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 578 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 1926
2 or more units
12 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
Units12
Floors3
Year built1926
Total area7,455 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot1519025
Ownership

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

Owner name
Michael F & Mary T Durkan B
Mailing address
Durkan Mary T Trustee 2550 34Th Ave San Francisco CA 94116
Last sale
061697

Landlord portfolio

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

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Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The three-story, 12-unit apartment building at 578 26th Avenue in San Francisco's Central Richmond district was built in 1926 and is currently owned by Michael F & Mary T Durkan B. The building has undergone several significant improvements in recent years, including a major reroofing project in 2022 ($22,800), a renovation of Unit 12 including kitchen and bathroom upgrades in 2021 ($46,200), and a comprehensive upgrade to its fire alarm system in 2021, which included the installation of wireless low-frequency sounders in sleeping areas to comply with current fire codes ($15,000). The property has also received important infrastructure upgrades, such as a new steam heating boiler in 2016, a complete replacement of the water service line in 2015, and various electrical improvements.

The building has a notable history of fire safety concerns, particularly between 2000-2001 when multiple violations were issued regarding egress obstructions, fire alarm system repairs, combustible storage, fire extinguisher maintenance, and smoke enclosure doors. While all these violations were abated by March 2001, there has been a recurring pattern of fire alarm system issues, with multiple complaints recorded between 2009 and 2024, though most were marked as "Condition Corrected" or "No Merit." The property has experienced several fire-related incidents, primarily involving alarm system activations (some due to malfunction) and a single natural gas leak incident, though none resulted in civilian injuries. Recent maintenance activities and upgrades, particularly the new fire alarm system and ongoing electrical work, suggest active management of safety systems, though the frequency of recent fire alarm complaints may warrant attention. The building has also experienced recurring issues with driveway blockages, as evidenced by multiple parking enforcement actions between 2021 and 2024, indicating a persistent challenge with access to the property.

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

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Risk rating

How 578 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
3th percentile

Out of 2250 buildings in this neighborhood, 2182 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
32%
No DBI
violation
68%
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.

Building size

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

Building age

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

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 32.0%
Moderate concern 39.9%
Severe concern 28.1%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

578 26Th Ave apartment reviews

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The story over time

578 26Th Ave event timeline

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

2026
311 Request Feb 26
Blocking driveway cite only
Parking Enforcement

See all 15 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 578 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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