Free SF apartment background check

2844 Balboa St

Central Richmond, SF 94121 1572014B 2 units · 2 fl · 1940

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
Above average
avg 0.5
4
FewerMore

This building has 4 novs (7y), above the Central Richmond average of 0.5.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 2844 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 1940
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 built1940
Total area3,094 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot1572014B
Ownership

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

Owner name
Hom/Lau Fmly Tr
Mailing address
Hom Sherman Yat Ttee 2021 Hillside Dr Burlingame CA 94010
Last sale
040297

Landlord portfolio

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

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Augrented Insights
AI summary

The two-unit building at 2844 Balboa Street in the Central Richmond neighborhood is a two-story flats and duplex structure built in 1940, currently owned by the Hom/Lau Family Trust. The property has undergone several significant maintenance and repair events over the past three decades, with the most recent major work being a sewer lateral and house trap replacement in 2022. The building has a documented history of maintenance issues, including a cluster of violations in 2021 related to damaged walls and a malfunctioning sink, which were resolved by June 2021. More serious concerns emerged in 2021 regarding mold growth, water damage, and deteriorated stucco, which had reportedly been ignored by management for years. Prior to these issues, the building experienced multiple violations in 2010, including problems with rear exterior exit stairs, window leaks causing mold growth, and holes in walls. The property has also faced compliance challenges, with a complaint in 2022 regarding unpermitted plumbing work in the kitchen and bathroom. While the building has received some necessary repairs over the years, including a completed stucco repair investigation in 1995 and reroofing work, the pattern of violations and complaints suggests recurring maintenance issues.

The property has generated numerous 311 calls in recent years, though most relate to parking and street cleaning matters rather than building-specific issues. Between 2023 and early 2025, there have been multiple reports of vehicles blocking driveways and sidewalk parking, along with some street cleaning requests. A sewage backup issue was reported and resolved in October 2023, indicating ongoing plumbing system challenges. While some of the building's historical violations and complaints have been addressed, there appears to be an ongoing pattern of maintenance issues, particularly concerning the plumbing system, with both the 2021 and 2022 complaints pointing to persistent concerns in this area.

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Risk rating

How 2844 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

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
18th percentile

Out of 2250 buildings in this neighborhood, 1845 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
71%
No DBI
violation
29%
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.

Construction spend, owner's portfolio

Estimated permit value across all of this owner's buildings.

NOV rate, owner's portfolio

Per-building NOV rate across everything this owner manages — high rates signal pattern neglect.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 34.8%
Moderate concern 49.0%
Severe concern 16.2%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
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The story over time

2844 Balboa St event timeline

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

2026
311 Request Apr 12
Blocking driveway cite tow
Parking Enforcement
311 RequestMar 26
Blocking driveway cite tow

See all 14 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 2844 Balboa St 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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