Free SF apartment background check

259 Upper Ter

Buena Vista Park/Ashbury Heights, SF 94117 2628073 4 units · 2 fl · 1955

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 259 Upper Ter 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 1955
2 or more units
4 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
Units4
Floors2
Year built1955
Total area2,404 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot2628073
Ownership

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

Owner name
Zipp Deborah Henderson & Gr
Mailing address
255 Upper Ter Apt 1 San Francisco CA 94117
Last sale
062999

Landlord portfolio

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

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Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The two-story multi-family residential building at 259 Upper Terrace in the Buena Vista Park neighborhood, owned by Zipp Deborah Henderson & Gr, was constructed in 1955 and contains 4 units. The property has undergone several significant maintenance and improvement projects over the years, including a reroofing project in 2020 costing $10,100, installation of new water heaters in 2014, and electrical upgrades in 2013 with the installation of a new subpanel and outlet. Historical records show past issues that required attention, most notably in 2002 when the building faced multiple violations related to building safety, including problems with stairs, fire escape maintenance, fire safety equipment, and security systems, though these were all abated by January 2003. Additional historical work has included stair repairs and dry rot remediation in 2002, kitchen remodeling in 1990, and roof replacement in 1991.

Recent activity at the property has primarily involved external maintenance and neighborhood issues, with several 311 calls in 2023-2025 regarding garbage management, toter placement, and graffiti on or near the property. A sewage back-up issue was reported and resolved in November 2024, indicating some plumbing infrastructure challenges. However, there have been no recent building code violations or fire safety concerns reported since the 2002 violations were addressed. The building underwent routine housing inspections in 2002 and 2012, with no significant findings noted. The property has maintained basic safety systems, with only one recorded fire alarm activation in 2006 that was determined to be unintentional.

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

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Risk rating

How 259 Upper Ter'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
46th percentile

Out of 351 buildings in this neighborhood, 190 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
75%
No DBI
violation
25%
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.

Neighborhood location

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

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 63.8%
Moderate concern 16.9%
Severe concern 19.3%
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

259 Upper Ter event timeline

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

2025
Plumbing Permit Nov 13
Unit #2: plumbing for ktichen and bath
Complete
Plumbing PermitNov 13
New furnace under pa # 202510097099

See all 11 events

Full history back to 2020 — violations, complaints, permits, buyouts, and fire incidents.

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Every record we have

Full data for 259 Upper Ter 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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