Free SF apartment background check

523 Judah St

Inner Sunset, SF 94122 1843047 3 units · 2 fl · 1915

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 Inner Sunset
Above average
avg 1.1
7
FewerMore

This building has 7 novs (7y), above the Inner Sunset average of 1.1.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 523 Judah 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 1915
2 or more units
3 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
Units3
Floors2
Year built1915
Total area2,098 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot1843047
Ownership

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

Owner name
Zhou Lijing
Mailing address
523 Judah St San Francisco CA 94122
Last sale
050604

Landlord portfolio

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

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Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The property at 523 Judah Street is a three-unit, two-story multi-family residential building located in San Francisco's Inner Sunset neighborhood, built in 1915 and currently owned by Zhou Lijing. The building has undergone several significant modifications over its history, with the most recent being solar panel installation in 2013 (20 roof-mounted PV modules) and multiple roofing projects in 2002 and 2010. In 2019-2020, the building faced multiple building violations related to safety requirements, including issues with smoke alarms, fire extinguishers, and carbon monoxide detectors, though most of these violations were abated by November 2019. The violations also included unauthorized construction work that allegedly created secondary egress issues, though the property owner filed a permit in January 2020 to remove unauthorized walls and partitions in the garage in response to these violations.

The building history reveals patterns of modification and some regulatory non-compliance, particularly during the 2019-2020 period when multiple complaints were filed about unauthorized construction work, including rear wall modifications and utility installations. These complaints coincided with neighbor reports of kitchen and bathroom additions and rear construction work. Earlier building history (2000s) shows various legitimate improvements, including deck construction, ground floor modifications, and garage door replacement. The property has also experienced recurring parking issues in recent years, with multiple reports of blocked driveways between 2023-2024. Recent environmental concerns include tree root damage to the sidewalk (2023) and periodic debris issues. The building's maintenance record shows regular upkeep, including roofing projects in 2002 and 2010, and solar panel installation in 2013, though some of these improvements have been associated with regulatory violations.

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

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Risk rating

How 523 Judah 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
3th percentile

Out of 1493 buildings in this neighborhood, 1448 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
24%
No DBI
violation
76%
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.

NOV rate, owner's portfolio

Per-building NOV rate across everything this owner manages — high rates signal pattern neglect.

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 10.9%
Moderate concern 21.3%
Severe concern 67.8%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

523 Judah St apartment reviews

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The story over time

523 Judah St event timeline

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

2020
DBI Complaint Aug 17
Date last observed: 14-aug-20; time last observed: aug 13; unit: 522 judah ; exact location: main bldg; building type: residence/dwelling other housing; ; additional information: they have remodeled the kitchen; added a bathroom and are now adding onto to the back of the house.;
Building Inspection Division
DBI ComplaintAug 17
Date last observed: 14-aug-20; time last observed: construction work; identity of person performing the work: identity of person performing ; exact location: main bldg; building type: residence/dwelling other housing; ; additional information: they have remodeled the kitchen; added a bathroom and are now adding onto to the back of the house.;

See all 11 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 523 Judah St apartments

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

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