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518 Balboa St

Inner Richmond, SF 94118 1549020 2 units · 2 fl · 1902

A handful of records on file over the last seven years, and our model puts this building at a low risk of further maintenance problems in the next 12 months. A few records worth reading before you sign. Check whether they were closed out, and ask what was actually fixed.

NOVs (7y) vs. neighborhood
Records already on file, against a typical building in Inner Richmond — not a forecast
At or below average
avg 0.9
0
FewerMore

This building has 0 novs (7y), at or below the Inner Richmond average of 0.9.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 518 Balboa St 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 1902
2 or more units
2 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
NC2
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 1902
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 built1902
Total area1,500 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot1549020
Ownership

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

Mailing address
Bendahan S Alex Trustee 518 Balboa St San Francisco CA 94118
Last sale

Landlord portfolio

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

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Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The property at 518 Balboa Street is a two-unit, two-story multi-family residential building located in San Francisco's Inner Richmond neighborhood, built in 1902 and currently owned by S Alex Bendahan 2014 Trust. The building has undergone several significant maintenance updates, including two roofing projects, the most recent completed in February 2023 at a cost of $6,500, and a prior roofing project from 2011. In 2005, repairs were made to the wooden front stairs, covering less than 50% of the stair structure. A notable building complaint was filed in May 2024 regarding unauthorized construction and scaffolding that had been in place for several months, though this complaint was subsequently abated by June 2024.

The property has experienced recurring issues with municipal waste management, particularly with city garbage cans overflowing, as evidenced by multiple 311 service calls throughout 2023. Between April 2023 and December 2024, there were at least nine separate incidents of overflowing city garbage cans, all of which were successfully resolved through pickup services. The most recent service call from December 2024 involved abandoned garbage and debris, which was also resolved. There is one open complaint from April 2024 regarding a pavement defect, though the impact of this issue on the property itself is unclear.

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

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Risk rating

How 518 Balboa St'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
38thpercentile

Out of 1723 buildings in this neighborhood, 1068 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
79%
No DBI
violation
21%
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.

Estimated permit spend (past 7 years)

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

Neighborhood location

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

12-Month risk forecast
Low failure risk 21%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

518 Balboa St apartment reviews

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On the map

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The story over time

518 Balboa St event timeline

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

2024
DBI Complaint May 28
Date last observed: 25-may-24; time last observed: 1:30 pm; floor: 1, 2, 3; exact location: main bldg; building type: residence/dwelling work w/o permit; ; additional information: scaffolding erected up entire rear of building, construction ongoing for months;
Building Inspection Division

See all 4 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 518 Balboa St apartments

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

Side by side

How 518 Balboa St compares to the neighborhood

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

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

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