Free SF apartment background check

431 Balboa St

Inner Richmond, SF 94118 1639047 3 units · 2 fl · 1991

A handful of records on file over the last seven years, and our model predicts a high risk of further maintenance problems in the next 12 months. A few records worth reading before you sign. Check whether they were closed out, and ask what was actually fixed.

NOVs (7y) vs. neighborhood
Records already on file, against a typical building in Inner Richmond — not a forecast
Above average
avg 0.9
1
FewerMore

This building has 1 novs (7y), above the Inner Richmond average of 0.9.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 431 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 1991
2 or more units
3 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
NC2
Not rent-controlled. Buildings constructed after 1978 are generally exempt from SF rent increase limits under the Costa-Hawkins Act.

Based on SF Assessor records. Not legal advice — confirm with the SF Rent Board.

Statewide backstop · AB 1482

California Tenant Protection Act of 2019

Even when a building isn't covered by local rent stabilization, the statewide Tenant Protection Act (AB 1482) may still apply. It caps annual rent increases and requires the landlord to state a legal reason to end most tenancies.

15+ years since occupancy
Built 1991
Annual rent increase cap
5% + CPI, max 10%
Just-cause eviction
After 12 months
May be covered by AB 1482. The building is old enough for the statewide rent cap (5% + regional CPI, capped at 10% per year) and just-cause protection after 12 months of tenancy.

AB 1482 does not apply to single-family homes and condos unless owned by a corporation, REIT, or an LLC with a corporate member; to owner-occupied duplexes; or to deed-restricted affordable housing. The Act is in effect until January 1, 2030. Not legal advice — see the California landlord–tenant guide.

Building characteristics
Units3
Floors2
Year built1991
Total area5,250 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot1639047
Ownership

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

Owner name
Mailing address
Mr & Mrs Sam Nam Sang Chu 2173 17Th Ave San Francisco CA 94116
Last sale
April 08, 1997

Landlord portfolio

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

Unlock complete report
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The property at 431 Balboa Street is a two-story mixed-use building constructed in 1991, containing three residential units (as permitted) above ground-floor retail space. Recent significant activity includes an active complaint from 2018 regarding unauthorized dwelling units, where inspectors noted multiple life safety concerns such as unapproved wiring, plumbing, lack of smoke detectors, and improper egress arrangements. The ground floor features a commercial space that has experienced vacancy issues, with violations filed in 2021 citing non-compliance with the Vacant Commercial Storefront Ordinance. The building underwent restaurant improvements in 2008, including the conversion of a retail space to a sushi bistro bar with related electrical and plumbing work, installation of ADA-compliant bathrooms, and kitchen fire suppression system upgrades. In 2017, AT&T completed a $250,000 rooftop installation of antennas and equipment. Multiple building violations were recorded in 2014 related to fire safety, emergency exits, and hallway obstructions, though these were abated in 2022. The property has experienced various maintenance issues recently, with 311 calls in 2024 reporting sewage backups, debris, and garbage concerns, as well as a recent noise complaint.

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 431 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

Lower risk — safer than most nearby

DBI rarely finds violations here. Strong maintenance history and a clean complaint record.

Typical — about average for the neighborhood

Some past violations or complaints on record. Worth asking the landlord about any open issues before signing.

Higher risk — riskier than most nearby

Elevated violation and complaint history. DBI has found issues here before and is statistically likely to again.

Neighborhood percentile
6thpercentile

Out of 1723 buildings in this neighborhood, 1620 are predicted to be safer. The band is relative to this neighborhood, so a share of every neighborhood falls in each colour.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
43%
No DBI
violation
57%
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 hearing rate, owner's portfolio

Per-building rate of director's hearings across the owner's portfolio.

Property class: apartment building

Apartment building — this property classification influences expected violation rates.

12-Month risk forecast
High failure risk 57%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

431 Balboa St 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.

The story over time

431 Balboa St event timeline

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

2024
311 Request Jan 15
Entertainment
Noise Report - entertainment

See all 4 events

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

Unlock complete timeline
Every record we have

Full data for 431 Balboa St apartments

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

Side by side

How 431 Balboa St compares to the neighborhood

This building against comparable properties in Inner Richmond. Toggle filters to narrow the peer group.

Loading comparables…
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.

Pay once

Report Bundle

For the buildings you're deciding on right now

$10one time

3premium reports

$3.33 per report · charged once, never renews

Each credit unlocks one building's premium report for 30 days.

  • 3 premium reports — AI executive summary included
  • Live data across all 27 public record types
  • 200 records per dataset
  • PDF & Excel exports included
  • Compare up to 10 buildings side-by-side
  • Credits never expire until you use them
Pay once

Apartment Hunter

For a wide search across many buildings

$39one time

30premium reports

$1.30 per report · charged once, never renews

Each credit unlocks one building's premium report for 30 days.

  • 30 premium reports — AI executive summary included
  • Live data across all 27 public record types
  • 200 records per dataset
  • PDF & Excel exports included
  • Compare up to 10 buildings side-by-side
  • Credits never expire until you use them

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

Watch 431 Balboa St
Get alerted the moment a new violation or complaint is filed.