Free SF apartment background check

1262 21St Ave

Central Sunset, SF 94122 1730030 2 units · 2 fl · 1987

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 1262 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 1987
2 or more units
2 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
RH2
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.

Building characteristics
Units2
Floors2
Year built1987
Total area3,202 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusHome Owners
Blocklot1730030
Ownership

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

Owner name
Tsang Billy Y & Tina W
Mailing address
1262 21st Ave San Francisco CA 94122
Last sale
101705

Landlord portfolio

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

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Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The two-unit residential building at 1262 21st Avenue in the Central Sunset neighborhood, owned by Billy Y. and Tina W. Tsang, was constructed in 1987 and stands two stories tall. The property has experienced several significant events, most notably an active building complaint filed in February 2022 regarding unauthorized construction, including reports of water intrusion, structural problems, and an alleged illegal rear vertical addition with roof deck. This complaint remains active as of the latest available data. In mid-2022, there was a permitted modification to minimize a rear storage shed and remove a deck cover, though this appears to be an attempt to address compliance issues. Earlier building permits show historical maintenance work including siding replacement and patio railguard updates from 1995, while the original residential structure was completed following demolition in 1986.

The property's external environment has been subject to various municipal service calls, including reports of abandoned vehicles and sidewalk parking violations between 2014 and 2025. A notable recent incident involved a Christmas tree disposal in early January 2025. While these external issues don't directly impact the building's condition, they do reflect on the property's immediate surroundings. The most pressing concern remains the ongoing building complaint from 2022 regarding unauthorized modifications and structural issues, which has not yet been resolved according to the available records.

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

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Risk rating

How 1262 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
36th percentile

Out of 814 buildings in this neighborhood, 521 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
82%
No DBI
violation
18%
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.

Estimated permit spend (past 7 years)

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

DBI complaints, owner's portfolio

Complaints across all of this owner's buildings over 7 years.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 75.4%
Moderate concern 20.4%
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

1262 21St Ave apartment reviews

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The story over time

1262 21St Ave event timeline

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

2022
Building Permit Jun 29
Minimize storage shed at rear to 8'-4" x 10'. remove deck cover on 3rd fl.
$500 · Issued
DBI ComplaintFeb 22
Date last observed: 18-feb-22; exact location: main bldg; building type: residence/dwelling water intrusion; work w/o permit; structural problems; ; additional information: illegal structure on property, rear vertical addition and roof deck without permit;

See all 2 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 1262 21St Ave 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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