Free SF apartment background check

738-740 43Rd Ave

Outer Richmond, SF 94121 1602027F 2 units · 2 fl · 1947

This building has a higher-than-average number of open problems nearby. Few open issues; problems get fixed quickly. A reasonable bet for a smooth tenancy.

NOVs (7y) vs. neighborhood
Compared to a typical building in Outer Richmond
At or below average
avg 0.7
0
FewerMore

This building has 0 novs (7y), at or below the Outer Richmond average of 0.7.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 738-740 43Rd 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 1947
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 built1947
Total area2,500 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot1602027F
Ownership

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

Owner name
Chen Lisa Liwen
Mailing address
37 Upland Ave Daly City CA 94015
Last sale
110408

Landlord portfolio

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

Unlock complete report
Multiple entrances & addresses

Included addresses

All street addresses sharing this blocklot that are covered by this report.

740 43rd Ave, San Francisco, CA 94121
738 43rd Ave, San Francisco, CA 94121
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The property at 738-740 43rd Avenue is a two-unit, two-story multi-family residential building located in San Francisco's Outer Richmond neighborhood. Built in 1947 and currently owned by Lisa Liwen Chen, this flats/duplex structure has undergone several significant renovations and faced some regulatory scrutiny. Most notably, there have been two major renovation phases in recent years: a December 2022 work period that required compliance following building complaints, involving remodeling of one kitchen and bathroom with substantial wall and electrical work ($36,000), and a July 2023 construction project ($54,000) to add two bedrooms, laundry facilities, and a bathroom with kitchenette on the first floor. The July 2023 project is currently being revised as of January 2024, with modifications to the bathroom and kitchenette layout.

The building has experienced some operational issues during renovation periods, with two active building complaints filed in December 2022 regarding construction work being executed without proper permits and causing disturbance to neighboring units. These complaints remain unresolved as of the current date. The property has seen substantial infrastructure improvements, including the installation of new tankless water heaters (2024), two furnaces (2023), and comprehensive electrical work (2023) associated with the recent renovations. Historical records show earlier maintenance work including reroofing in 2000 and cabinet replacement in 1989. The property's compliance history includes one housing inspection request in 2020, though the outcome of this inspection is not detailed in the records. It's worth noting that the ongoing construction modifications and their associated permits suggest that building improvements are continuing into 2024, with active work on bathroom and kitchenette revisions as recently as January 2024.

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

Free account unlocks the full analysis — plus 2× more records across all data categories and the complete landlord portfolio.
Risk rating

How 738-740 43Rd 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
47th percentile

Out of 1040 buildings in this neighborhood, 551 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
84%
No DBI
violation
16%
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.

Neighborhood location

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

DBI complaint rate, owner's portfolio

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

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 76.9%
Moderate concern 19.0%
Severe concern 4.1%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

738-740 43Rd Ave apartment reviews

Real experiences from people who have lived here. Share yours to help other renters decide.

Share your experience — Help other renters by leaving an honest apartment review

Loading reviews…

On the map

Compare nearby alternatives

This building and nearby alternatives, color-coded by risk level. Click any marker to explore.

Buildings nearby
Loading…
The story over time

738-740 43Rd Ave event timeline

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

2024
Plumbing Permit Feb 26
Replace tankless water heater. ref#: 202307172308
Expired
Building PermitJan 12
Revision to approved pa# 202307172308: relocated bathroom and kitchenette.

See all 9 events

Full history back to 2022 — violations, complaints, permits, buyouts, and fire incidents.

Unlock complete timeline
Every record we have

Full data for 738-740 43Rd Ave apartments

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

Still apartment hunting in SF?

Look up the next apartment before you sign

Search any SF address free — no account needed to see the risk rating.

Simple pricing

Get the complete picture

Every plan unlocks the complete report: all 13 SF datasets, full history, landlord portfolio, and PDF & Excel exports.

Report Bundle

For the buildings you're deciding on right now

$10 one-time

~$3.33 per building. No subscription ever. Each credit unlocks one building's premium report for 30 days.

  • 3 full AI-powered reports
  • Download PDF reports
  • Advanced safety analysis
  • Compare multiple buildings
  • Credits never expire until you use them
  • Full public records (200 rows per dataset)
Buy 3 Reports — $10

Apartment Hunter

For a wide search across many buildings

$39 one-time

30 reports — ~$1.30 each. No subscription ever.

  • 30 full AI-powered reports
  • Download PDF reports
  • Advanced safety analysis
  • Compare multiple buildings
  • Credits never expire until you use them
  • Full public records (200 rows per dataset)
Buy 30 Reports — $39

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

Watch 738-740 43Rd Ave
Get alerted the moment a new violation or complaint is filed.