Free SF apartment background check

545 Buena Vista Ave

Buena Vista Park/Ashbury Heights, SF 94117 2616043 2 units · 2 fl · 1906

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 Buena Vista Park/Ashbury Heights
At or below average
avg 1.6
0
FewerMore

This building has 0 novs (7y), at or below the Buena Vista Park/Ashbury Heights average of 1.6.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 545 Buena Vista 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 1906
2 or more units
2 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
RH3
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
Units2
Floors2
Year built1906
Total area3,090 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusHome Owners
Blocklot2616043
Ownership

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

Owner name
Burke David Russell
Mailing address
545 Buena Vista Ave W San Francisco CA 94117
Last sale
102111

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 545 Buena Vista Ave in the Buena Vista Park neighborhood, owned by David Russell Burke, was constructed in 1906 as a two-story flats and duplex structure. The property has undergone significant recent improvements, with major work completed in 2024 including a comprehensive bathroom remodel, installation of tankless water heaters for both units, and electrical upgrades including a new 100-amp main panel installation. The building has also received important infrastructure upgrades in recent years, including the replacement of two furnaces (March 2024), new water lines installation (2016), and sewer line improvements (2016). A building inspection in 2022 confirmed its legal use as a two-unit residential building.

The property's maintenance history shows attention to both safety and comfort systems, with multiple furnace and water heater replacements documented since 2021. However, there have been some recurring issues noted in recent months, including several reports of garbage and debris (September-November 2024), a rodent/insect infestation (September 2024), and a sidewalk defect (December 2024). Safety concerns are highlighted by multiple documented gas leak incidents and elevator rescues in the past, though no civilian injuries were reported in these incidents. The building has also experienced several false alarm activations for its fire alarm system, though these appear to be unintentional and not related to actual fire events. The property has active permits for ongoing bathroom and heating system improvements as of 2024, indicating continued investment in building maintenance and upgrades.

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

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Risk rating

How 545 Buena Vista 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
83th percentile

Out of 351 buildings in this neighborhood, 60 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
87%
No DBI
violation
13%
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.

Building age

Older buildings tend to have more maintenance challenges; SF's pre-1906 earthquake housing stock carries distinct risk.

Construction spend, owner's portfolio

Estimated permit value across all of this owner's buildings.

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 80.9%
Moderate concern 12.3%
Severe concern 6.8%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
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The story over time

545 Buena Vista Ave event timeline

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

2024
Plumbing Permit Jun 17
Bathroom remodel. install bathtub, shower valve, upgrade 2 heater to tankless water heater for both unit. upgrade gas line to a 1 1/4 gas pipe. reroute waterline for new heater
Complete
Electrical PermitJun 17
Bathroom remodel. install bathtub, update main panel 100 amp for 545-547 unit. install 2 tankless water heater. dedicated circuit 20 amp. upgrade house panel 100 amp circuit breaker

See all 6 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 545 Buena Vista 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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