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454-456 Castro St

Eureka Valley/Dolores Heights, SF 94114 2647008 4 units · 2 fl · 1907

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 Eureka Valley/Dolores Heights
Above average
avg 1.3
2
FewerMore

This building has 2 novs (7y), above the Eureka Valley/Dolores Heights average of 1.3.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 454-456 Castro 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 1907
2 or more units
4 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
CASTRO
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 built1907
Total area5,450 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot2647008
Ownership

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

Owner name
Strain Investments
Mailing address
11 Cypress Ave Kentfield CA 94904
Last sale
061005

Landlord portfolio

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

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Multiple entrances & addresses

Included addresses

All street addresses sharing this blocklot that are covered by this report.

456 Castro St, San Francisco, CA 94114
454 Castro St, San Francisco, CA 94114
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The property at 454-456 Castro Street is a two-story, mixed-use building constructed in 1907, containing 4 residential units and ground-floor commercial space, currently owned by Strain Investments. The building has a significant history of fire-related incidents and subsequent repairs, most notably a major fire in 2019 that caused extensive damage to the upper floors and commercial space, rendering the building uninhabitable. Following this incident, substantial reconstruction work was performed under multiple permits, including $650,000 in repairs to restore the second and third-floor residential units to their original conditions in 2020, and $300,000 in repairs to the ground-floor commercial space. The building has undergone various fire safety upgrades in recent years, including fire sprinkler repairs in 2023 due to fire damage, installation of new fire lines, and testing of fire protection equipment.

The property has experienced several compliance issues over the years, including building code violations related to fire safety systems, unpermitted work in 2001, and various maintenance lapses. Multiple fire safety inspections have been conducted, revealing issues such as blocked exits, unlocked exit doors, and fire protection equipment maintenance violations, though these were generally corrected promptly. The building's commercial space has faced several regulatory challenges, including complaints about occupancy levels and unauthorized outdoor activity areas. Recent plumbing and electrical work indicates ongoing maintenance efforts, with the most recent permits focusing on fire safety system improvements and utility connections. The property has generated multiple 311 calls in recent months, primarily related to waste management issues, though these appear to be external to the building's systems.

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

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Risk rating

How 454-456 Castro 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 1278 buildings in this neighborhood, 1240 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
22%
No DBI
violation
78%
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.

Number of units

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

Director's hearings (past 7 years)

Director's hearings are escalated enforcement actions for buildings that haven't resolved violations — a serious signal.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 20.9%
Moderate concern 70.0%
Severe concern 9.1%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

454-456 Castro St apartment reviews

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The story over time

454-456 Castro St event timeline

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

2026
DBI Complaint May 11
The residential building at 456 castro street is using an illegal roof deck.construction noise past ten pm. heavy machinery use. (311 sr 101004091806) 5/20/26
Code Enforcement Section

See all 26 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 454-456 Castro 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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