Free SF apartment background check

645 44Th Ave

Outer Richmond, SF 94121 1587007 3 units · 2 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 Outer Richmond
Above average
avg 0.7
1
FewerMore

This building has 1 novs (7y), above the Outer Richmond average of 0.7.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 645 44Th 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
3 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
Units3
Floors2
Year built1926
Total area2,257 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot1587007
Ownership

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

Owner name
Abraham Mertens & Ivory Mad
Mailing address
Mertens Abraham & Madison I 727 Webster St San Francisco CA 94117
Last sale
112519

Landlord portfolio

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

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Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The three-unit, two-story multi-family residential building at 645 44th Avenue in the Outer Richmond, owned by Abraham Mertens and Ivory Mad, has a documented history of both maintenance and violations spanning several decades since its construction in 1926. Most recently, in 2020, there were significant modifications to the ground floor unit C, including water damage repairs and relocation of the front entry door, which followed an April 2020 complaint about unauthorized construction work during the pandemic. Prior to this, major renovations were completed in 2017-2018, including a kitchen remodel with electrical and plumbing upgrades, and a bathroom renovation, all of which were properly permitted and completed. The building has experienced several maintenance issues over the years, with the most significant cluster of problems occurring in 2003, including violations related to inadequate heating, damaged windows, and ceiling repairs, all of which were resolved by May 2003. There were also multiple complaints between 2017-2020 regarding unpermitted work, particularly concerning electrical and structural modifications, though these issues were eventually addressed through proper permitting processes.

The property's maintenance history shows regular upkeep, including a complete reroofing in 2002, window replacements in 2003, and various interior improvements over the years. While there have been several complaints about waste management issues in 2018 and parking concerns in 2020, these were generally routine neighborhood maintenance matters. The building's electrical and plumbing systems have received attention over the years, with significant upgrades noted in 2017, including new wiring, outlets, and plumbing fixtures. Despite the periodic issues with unpermitted work and maintenance violations in the early 2000s, the recent history of permitted renovations and repairs suggests improved compliance with building codes and regulations.

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

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Risk rating

How 645 44Th 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
9th percentile

Out of 1040 buildings in this neighborhood, 946 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
49%
No DBI
violation
51%
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.

Director's hearings (past 7 years)

Director's hearings are escalated enforcement actions for buildings that haven't resolved violations — a serious signal.

DBI complaint rate, owner's portfolio

Per-building complaint rate across the owner's portfolio.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 51.9%
Moderate concern 36.9%
Severe concern 11.1%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

645 44Th Ave apartment reviews

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The story over time

645 44Th Ave event timeline

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

2020
Building Permit Jun 11
To comply with nov20202698 per plans: replace interior drywall due to water damage, like-for-like, in-kind. relocate front entry door. all work at ground floor unit c
$6,000 · Complete
DBI ComplaintApr 13
A complaint has been filed with sfdbi. a site visit has revealed full kitchen, bath, and front room demo. construction of a new front wall approx 10ft with new entry door, approx 3ft in front of existing entry door and wall, south side ground floor unit.

See all 4 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 645 44Th 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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