Free SF apartment background check

1278-1280 20Th Ave

Central Sunset, SF 94122 1731027 6 units · 4 fl · 1924

This building has significantly more problems than most nearby buildings. 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 1278-1280 20Th 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 1924
2 or more units
6 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
NC2
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
Units6
Floors4
Year built1924
Total area7,614 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot1731027
Ownership

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

Owner name
Chu Fmly Tr
Mailing address
Chu Wing Ling & Mo Fong Ton 425 Junipero Serra Blvd San Francisco CA 94127
Last sale
071818

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.

1280 20th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94122
1278 D 20th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94122
1278 C 20th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94122
1278 20th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94122
1278 B 20th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94122
1278 A 20th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94122
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The four-story, six-unit multi-family residential building at 1278-1280 20th Avenue in the Central Sunset neighborhood, constructed in 1924, has undergone several significant changes in recent years, most notably the conversion of a portion of the building into a preschool facility known as "New Journey Preschool" in 2021. This transformation, costing approximately $150,000, required substantial upgrades to safety systems, including a fire alarm system expansion in 2022 ($5,000) and the installation of new safety features such as pull stations, smoke detectors, and horn strobes. Comprehensive improvements were made to accommodate the preschool's needs, including plumbing work for ADA-compliant restrooms and air distribution systems in March 2022, along with electrical upgrades for lighting and appliance installations.

The building's safety systems have received ongoing attention, including the installation of a fire sprinkler system in 2007 ($2,000) and fire sprinkler monitoring setup in 2007. Historical records show a variety of maintenance and upgrade work, including residential and commercial space modifications in 2007 and various utility improvements. The property has experienced some environmental challenges in recent years, as evidenced by several 311 calls between 2019 and 2024 regarding street cleaning, hazardous materials, and waste removal. A significant complaint was filed in 2005 regarding construction potentially affecting neighboring property foundations, though this was not directly related to the current building's condition. The building has also had some fire safety inspections in 2011, with issues regarding alarm systems, extinguishers, and blocked exits, though records indicate these conditions were corrected. While the property has undergone substantial modifications to accommodate modern uses, particularly the preschool, the maintenance of safety systems and infrastructure has been regularly addressed through permits and inspections.

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

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Risk rating

How 1278-1280 20Th 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
12th percentile

Out of 814 buildings in this neighborhood, 716 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
69%
No DBI
violation
31%
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.

Number of units

The number of units affects how the model reads complaint and violation totals — more units means more potential sources.

Building size

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

Number of floors

Building height affects maintenance complexity and is one of the size signals the model uses.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 53.9%
Moderate concern 25.1%
Severe concern 21.0%
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

1278-1280 20Th Ave event timeline

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

2022
Electrical Permit Jul 19
Modification of existing fire alarm system by adding additional pull stations, smoke detectors, ceiling mount horn and horn strobes for the pre school.
Complete
Plumbing PermitMar 22
Install ada restroom and childrentoilets and vanity. one kitchen sink

See all 7 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 1278-1280 20Th 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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