Free SF apartment background check

1259 21St Ave

Central Sunset, SF 94122 1729012 2 units · 3 fl · 1909

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 Sunset
At or below average
avg 0.7
0
FewerMore

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

Rent & eviction protection

Is 1259 21St 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 1909
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
Floors3
Year built1909
Total area3,892 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusHome Owners
Blocklot1729012
Ownership

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

Owner name
Shu Family Trust
Mailing address
Shu David Chuang & Michelle 1259 21St Ave San Francisco CA 94122
Last sale
021518

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.

1259 21st Ave, San Francisco, CA 94122
1259 A 21st Ave, San Francisco, CA 94122
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The property at 1259 21st Avenue in San Francisco's Central Sunset neighborhood is a three-story multi-family residential building constructed in 1909 and currently owned by the Shu Family Trust. Originally a single-family dwelling, the building underwent significant modifications in 2013 when a rear horizontal addition was added, transforming it into a two-unit structure with an estimated cost of $400,000. The improvements included the installation of a fire sprinkler system with 49 heads ($30,000) and complete building-wide electrical rewiring ($30,000), though there were later modifications to remove a spiral staircase and revise bathroom work at the garage level.

The building's recent history has been marked by compliance issues and resident concerns. In 2019, there was a complaint about an unpermitted dwelling unit with kitchen and bathroom facilities used for short-term rentals, which led to the removal of an illegal kitchen and clarification of the building's two-unit status. The property experienced sewer backup issues in September 2021, which were promptly resolved. There have been multiple reports of abandoned vehicles near the property between 2015 and 2017, though these were resolved with officers unable to locate the vehicles. The most recent building-related concern involves a damaged tree reported in April 2022, which remains open as of the latest information.

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 1259 21St 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
95th percentile

Out of 814 buildings in this neighborhood, 41 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
92%
No DBI
violation
8%
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.

Building size

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

Neighborhood location

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

Building age

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

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 81.7%
Moderate concern 15.2%
Severe concern 3.1%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

1259 21St 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

1259 21St Ave event timeline

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

2026
Planning Record Jan 28
The ad is misleading, implying that it is a bedroom and bathroom in a house that would be private to the renter and in a building with the owner. However, they are in a separate building and while they do have their own bathroom, there are 4 other units which share a bathroom and common space. .host does not live in unit
Closed - Abated

See all 5 events

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

Unlock complete timeline
Every record we have

Full data for 1259 21St 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 1259 21St Ave
Get alerted the moment a new violation or complaint is filed.