Free SF apartment background check

4444 Balboa St

Outer Richmond, SF 94121 1588012 24 units · 3 fl · 1962

This building has far more open problems than almost any other in the neighborhood. Renters here report frequent, slow-to-fix problems. Get repair promises in writing and check the unit before signing.

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 4444 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 1962
2 or more units
24 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
Units24
Floors3
Year built1962
Total area20,001 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot1588012
Ownership

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

Owner name
Bill Tong Tr
Mailing address
Tong Peter P Trustee 24 Barcelona Ave San Francisco CA 94115
Last sale
040919

Landlord portfolio

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

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Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The 24-unit multi-family residential building at 4444 Balboa Street in San Francisco's Outer Richmond neighborhood has experienced several significant events in recent years, most notably a fire incident in Unit 306 in May 2023 that has led to ongoing fire safety concerns and current active violations regarding sleeping area requirements as of November 2023. The building is undergoing substantial repairs following this fire, with active permits from January 2024 for fire damage repairs including plumbing, mechanical, electrical work, and roofing repairs totaling $160,000, along with recent fire alarm system upgrades completed in October 2024 costing $63,800. The property has a history of maintenance and safety issues that have required attention, including multiple fire alarm system inspections and corrections between 2009-2023, a significant electrical upgrade in 2016 to improve infrastructure with a 600A underground service installation, and various repair works including window replacements, reroofing projects, and plumbing upgrades.

Past violations and complaints show a pattern of maintenance challenges, including heating system issues (2019), security concerns (2004), and more serious plumbing problems with raw sewage leaks reported in 2014. The building's history also includes some concerning safety incidents, such as reports of door to fire escape issues in 2018 and generator-related safety concerns in 2016. More recent improvements suggest ongoing attention to building systems, with active permits from 2024 showing major infrastructure upgrades including the installation of new furnace and electrical systems in Unit 306, though these improvements follow a significant fire incident that raises concerns about overall building safety and maintenance history.

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

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Risk rating

How 4444 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
1th percentile

Out of 1040 buildings in this neighborhood, 1030 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
25%
No DBI
violation
75%
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.

Building size

Total floor area — a proxy for building scale and the number of systems (plumbing, electrical, HVAC) that can fail.

DBI tenant complaints (past 7 years)

Formal complaints tenants filed with DBI about this building over 7 years.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 25.1%
Moderate concern 64.1%
Severe concern 10.8%
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

4444 Balboa St event timeline

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

2024
Building Permit Oct 23
Upgrade (e) fire alarm system to comply with sffc section 1103.7.6.1
$63,800 · Complete
Electrical PermitAug 31
Online electrical permit: 1 of buildings with more than 12 dwelling units and non-residential occupany - building up to 3 floors. modification of an existing fire alarm system by upgrading the fire panel, update all existing devices to be compatible with new facp and pr

See all 15 events

Full history back to 2019 — violations, complaints, permits, buyouts, and fire incidents.

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Every record we have

Full data for 4444 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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