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1539-1541 Balboa St

Central Richmond, SF 94118 1628030A 2 units · 2 fl · 1921

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 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 1539-1541 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 1921
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 built1921
Total area3,165 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot1628030A
Ownership

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

Owner name
Chan Fmly Tr
Mailing address
Thomas T W & Gladys G S Cha 764 Clay St San Francisco CA 94108
Last sale
041210

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.

1539 Balboa St, San Francisco, CA 94118
1541 Balboa St, San Francisco, CA 94118
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The two-unit residential building located at 1539-1541 Balboa Street in the Central Richmond neighborhood is a two-story flats and duplex structure built in 1921, currently owned by Chan Family Trust. The building has undergone several significant improvements over its lifetime, with the most substantial renovation occurring in 2002 when $30,000 was invested in adding a laundry room, half bathroom, guest room, computer room, and replacing the old garage door. This was followed by additional improvements including a $10,000 detail plan modification later that same year, and important structural work in 1990 when the foundation was bolted and rotted components were replaced. The property has maintained compliance with electrical requirements, with the most recent permit renewal in 2003 receiving final inspection approval.

Recent activity at the property includes a currently open temporary moving sign request from December 2023, and several maintenance issues in 2013 involving sewer infrastructure, though these were resolved. The building's maintenance history shows proper attention to structural and safety concerns, with no significant recurring issues. External incidents near the property have been minimal and mostly unrelated to the building's condition, including an abandoned vehicle case in 2018 (which was resolved by towing) and a non-offensive graffiti incident on a pole in 2018 that was addressed. The property's permit history suggests regular upkeep and proactive improvements, with no major structural or habitability concerns noted in recent years.

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

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Risk rating

How 1539-1541 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
91th percentile

Out of 2250 buildings in this neighborhood, 202 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
91%
No DBI
violation
9%
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.

Estimated permit spend (past 7 years)

Dollar value of permits pulled at this address — large recent spend can signal deferred-maintenance catch-up.

Building age

Older buildings tend to have more maintenance challenges; SF's pre-1906 earthquake housing stock carries distinct risk.

Notices of Violation, owner's portfolio

DBI NOVs across all buildings this owner is registered on — a signal of systemic maintenance issues across the portfolio.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 86.1%
Moderate concern 11.1%
Severe concern 2.8%
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

1539-1541 Balboa St event timeline

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

No dated public records on file yet.
Every record we have

Full data for 1539-1541 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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