Free SF apartment background check

1526 Great Hwy

Outer Sunset, SF 94122 1894037 8 units · 2 fl · 1954

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 Outer Sunset
Above average
avg 1.8
15
FewerMore

This building has 15 novs (7y), above the Outer Sunset average of 1.8.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 1526 Great Hwy 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 1954
2 or more units
8 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
RM1
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
Units8
Floors2
Year built1954
Total area4,320 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot1894037
Ownership

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

Owner name
Wu John
Mailing address
14857 Wake Ave San Leandro CA 94578
Last sale
101204

Landlord portfolio

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

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Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The 8-unit multi-family residential building at 1526 Great Highway in San Francisco's Outer Sunset neighborhood has experienced several significant maintenance and safety issues over the past two decades, with the most recent major work being a completed reroofing project in 2022 costing $24,700. The property has a concerning history of stairway safety issues, particularly between 2012-2013, when there were multiple complaints about metal stairway replacements that allegedly did not meet code requirements, including reports of collapses and safety hazards that reportedly injured tenants. These issues led to a building permit in 2013 to address staircase repairs and compliance concerns. Earlier violations from 2000-2002 documented various maintenance problems including defective windows and doors, damaged walls, mold/mildew issues, and plumbing concerns, all of which were abated by April 2000. The building's infrastructure maintenance has included electrical work in 2006 to replace an open service conduit weatherhead.

More recent history (2021-2025) shows ongoing environmental and maintenance challenges in the vicinity of the building, with multiple 311 calls regarding garbage and debris on the street, including reports of abandoned vehicles in 2021-2022. There have been some quality of life complaints reported through 311, including noise issues and an encampment situation in late 2024. However, these recent calls are primarily related to street and sidewalk conditions rather than building-specific maintenance issues. The property has not had any recorded fire incidents requiring response, though there was one false alarm noted in the records. The building, constructed in 1954 and classified as a two-story apartment building with 5 to 14 units, is currently owned by John Wu.

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

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Risk rating

How 1526 Great Hwy'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
2th percentile

Out of 632 buildings in this neighborhood, 619 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
23%
No DBI
violation
77%
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.

Neighborhood location

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

Number of units

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

Neighborhood location

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

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 15.7%
Moderate concern 47.3%
Severe concern 37.0%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

1526 Great Hwy apartment reviews

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The story over time

1526 Great Hwy event timeline

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

2025
Building Violation (NOV) Aug 28
Building violation
At the gfci outlet adjacent to the range, the outlet is loose in the wall. have an electrician secure the outlet box to the framing or othe…
Building Violation (NOV)Aug 28
Building violation

See all 11 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 1526 Great Hwy 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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