Free SF apartment background check

554-556 19Th Ave

Central Richmond, SF 94121 1561028 2 units · 2 fl · 1925

This building has significantly more problems than most nearby buildings. Few open issues; problems get fixed quickly. A reasonable bet for a smooth tenancy.

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 554-556 19Th 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 1925
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.

Building characteristics
Units2
Floors2
Year built1925
Total area3,740 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot1561028
Ownership

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

Owner name
Lau May M
Mailing address
2415 Balboa St San Francisco CA 94121
Last sale
050500

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.

556 19th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94121
554 19th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94121
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The two-unit multi-family residential building at 554-556 19th Avenue in the Central Richmond neighborhood, constructed in 1925, has undergone significant recent improvements totaling over $100,000 in 2023. This includes comprehensive kitchen and bathroom renovations, electrical upgrades with recessed lighting installation, and essential plumbing work. The property has a historical pattern of maintenance and improvements, with major works completed in 2008 including a complete plumbing system overhaul and electrical service upgrade to 200 amps. In 2020, the building faced water intrusion and mold issues in unit 556, though these complaints are now marked as not active. A series of building violations were recorded in July 2008, including issues with window hardware, fireplace flu repairs, and permit requirements, all of which were abated by October 2008.

More recent concerns include two complaints filed in May 2023 regarding construction work without proper permits, and a November 2023 complaint about work beyond the approved scope. These complaints followed the 2023 renovation period, though their current status is marked as not active. The building's infrastructure has received regular attention, with historical records showing reroofing work completed in 1990 and 1999, as well as kitchen improvements in 1993. Recent plumbing and electrical upgrades have included installation of new water and gas meters, numerous light fixtures, and circuit improvements. The property has experienced recurring issues with parking violations, particularly regarding driveway blocking and sidewalk parking, with multiple citations issued throughout 2024. While there are some recent service requests related to curb defects and sewer operations, these are street-related issues separate from the building's structural concerns.

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

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Risk rating

How 554-556 19Th 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
17th percentile

Out of 2250 buildings in this neighborhood, 1868 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
69%
No DBI
violation
31%
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 severity forecast
No violation 63.8%
Moderate concern 29.3%
Severe concern 6.9%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

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The story over time

554-556 19Th Ave event timeline

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

2024
311 Request Aug 13
Blocking driveway cite tow
Parking Enforcement
311 RequestMay 23
Blocking driveway cite only

See all 14 events

Full history back to 2020 — violations, complaints, permits, buyouts, and fire incidents.

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Every record we have

Full data for 554-556 19Th 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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