Free SF apartment background check

1640 Kirkham St

Central Sunset, SF 94122 1833014A 24 units · 3 fl · 1929

This building has far more open problems than almost any other in the neighborhood. Renters here report frequent, slow-to-fix problems. Get repair promises in writing and check the unit before signing.

NOVs (7y) vs. neighborhood
Compared to a typical building in Central Sunset
Above average
avg 0.7
10
FewerMore

This building has 10 novs (7y), above the Central Sunset average of 0.7.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 1640 Kirkham 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 1929
2 or more units
24 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.

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 1929
Annual rent increase cap
5% + CPI, max 10%
Just-cause eviction
After 12 months
Local rent control likely takes priority. This building appears to fall under the local ordinance above, which is stronger than AB 1482. Where a local just-cause ordinance applies, its rules govern instead of the state cap.

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
Units24
Floors3
Year built1929
Total area16,326 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot1833014A
Ownership

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

Mailing address
Woo Wendy Po Box 475370 San Francisco CA 94147
Last sale
080421

Landlord portfolio

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

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Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The 24-unit, 3-story apartment building at 1640 Kirkham St, constructed in 1929, has undergone significant recent improvements, including a fire alarm upgrade to meet current fire marshal codes in October 2023, and substantial renovation work in Unit 12 in June 2024 comprising electrical upgrades and kitchen/bathroom remodeling costing $72,000. The building successfully completed its mandatory Tier 2 soft story retrofit in 2016, demonstrating improved seismic safety. Recent maintenance work has included reroofing in 2023 and the replacement of a steam boiler in 2022.

The property has experienced several maintenance challenges and resident complaints over the past decade. Notable issues include plumbing problems in 2021 (multiple water leaks), a 2022 complaint about an unauthorized exterior light installation, and a 2014 leak affecting multiple units. There are open fire violations from October 2023 regarding sleeping area requirements that require permit correction. While the building has undergone numerous unit renovations (Units 1, 4, 6, 12, and 18 have received updates), some historical violations from 2002-2004 relating to handrails, fire escapes, and smoke detectors were noted but have since been resolved. Recent 311 calls primarily concern street cleaning issues, including multiple reports of abandoned furniture and debris in 2024, while earlier reports indicated problems with garbage and debris management. The building's electrical and fire safety systems have received regular attention, with multiple fire alarm system corrections noted between 2008 and 2024, indicating ongoing maintenance of life safety systems.

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

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Risk rating

How 1640 Kirkham 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
0th percentile

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

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

DBI tenant complaints (past 7 years)

Formal complaints tenants filed with DBI about this building over 7 years.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 10.1%
Moderate concern 39.8%
Severe concern 50.1%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

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On the map

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The story over time

1640 Kirkham St event timeline

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

2025
Building Violation (NOV) Jun 16
Building violation
It is the property owner's responsibility to be present or direct his/her representative to attend the reinspection as scheduled on this no…
Building Violation (NOV)Jun 16
Building violation

See all 27 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 1640 Kirkham 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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