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411 15Th Ave

Central Richmond, SF 94118 1529001 16 units · 3 fl · 1920

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
Above average
avg 0.5
2
FewerMore

This building has 2 novs (7y), above the Central Richmond average of 0.5.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 411 15Th 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 1920
2 or more units
16 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.

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 1920
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
Units16
Floors3
Year built1920
Total area17,650 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot1529001
Ownership

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

Owner name
Mailing address
Steven C. Thrower 1 Bush St Ste 900 San Francisco CA 94104
Last sale
021119

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.

411 15th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94118
5111 Geary Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94118
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The 16-unit, 3-story multi-family residential building at 411 15th Avenue in the Central Richmond neighborhood was constructed in 1920 and has undergone numerous renovations and improvements over the past several years. Most recently, the property has been experiencing recurring issues with its fire alarm system, with violations issued in early 2024 and September 2024 for maintenance and record-keeping deficiencies. The building has also faced challenges with a vacant commercial space on the ground floor, with active complaints regarding a vacant storefront as of September 2023. Significant improvements have been made to individual units, including a $40,000 renovation of Unit 15 in 2021 that involved converting living spaces, rehabilitating kitchens and bathrooms, and installing laundry facilities. The building completed mandatory soft-story seismic retrofitting in 2016 and added fire alarm system upgrades in 2018. Historical records show various maintenance and security concerns between 2002 and 2010, including issues with fire escapes, lead paint notifications, and building security, though many of these were resolved by 2012.

The property has experienced periodic issues with building maintenance and security, as evidenced by multiple 311 calls and complaints between 2009 and 2023 regarding garbage accumulation, lighting problems, and security concerns with exterior doors. Recent complaints from 2023 highlight continued challenges with external maintenance and sidewalk conditions. The building's fire safety systems have required ongoing attention, with multiple violations and alarm system-related incidents documented between 2009 and 2024, including two violations issued in September 2024 and one in March 2024. Despite these challenges, the building has made significant investments in unit upgrades and infrastructure improvements, including plumbing, electrical, and seismic retrofits, although there are currently no active permits for major construction projects on record. The property is classified as Tier 4 under San Francisco's Soft Story program, indicating that required seismic improvements have been completed.

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

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Risk rating

How 411 15Th 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.

Property class

The assessor's property-class code, which correlates with building type and the violation rates the model expects. This code is grouped with other less-common classes.

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 14.7%
Moderate concern 75.9%
Severe concern 9.5%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

411 15Th Ave apartment reviews

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The story over time

411 15Th Ave event timeline

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

2026
DBI Complaint Jul 17
Tenant reporting she noticed no hot water yesterday at 6 am, with hot water going out likely much earlier.
Housing Inspection Services

See all 21 events

Full history back to 2021 — violations, complaints, permits, buyouts, and fire incidents.

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Every record we have

Full data for 411 15Th Ave apartments

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

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