Free SF apartment background check

811 Alvarado St

Noe Valley, SF 94114 2802047 6 units · 2 fl · 1900

This building has significantly more problems than most nearby buildings. Few open issues; problems get fixed quickly. A reasonable bet for a smooth tenancy.

NOVs (7y) vs. neighborhood
Compared to a typical building in Noe Valley
Above average
avg 1.2
5
FewerMore

This building has 5 novs (7y), above the Noe Valley average of 1.2.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 811 Alvarado 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 1900
2 or more units
6 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
Units6
Floors2
Year built1900
Total area4,200 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot2802047
Ownership

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

Owner name
Lai Michael C & Shirley Tu
Mailing address
204 Moraga Way Orinda CA 94563
Last sale
040215

Landlord portfolio

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

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Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The 6-unit multi-family residential building at 811 Alvarado Street in Noe Valley, owned by Michael C. Lai and Shirley Tu, has undergone significant modernization and maintenance work since 2014. Most notably, in 2014, the property completed substantial interior renovations to ground floor unit 807B including bedroom addition, kitchen remodeling, window installation, and laundry room creation, with additional structural improvements such as voluntary foundation work and wall sheathing upgrades. Between 2016 and 2017, the building received further enhancements including electric heater installations, wall insulation improvements, bathroom and kitchen remodeling, and comprehensive electrical upgrades across multiple units with the installation of modern fixtures and safety features like smoke detectors.

The property faced compliance issues in late 2022, with multiple violations related to fire safety and gas utility requirements, though these were all abated by December 20, 2022. Historical records show older maintenance work from the 1990s, including exterior repairs and window maintenance, but the recent permit activity suggests proactive upkeep of the property. A rear yard permit violation was also recorded, indicating unauthorized surface modification and improper vehicle parking, though this appears to have been resolved. The building has undergone regular routine inspections by Housing Inspection Services in 1999 and 2002, with no significant ongoing issues noted in recent years beyond the 2022 violations.

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

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Risk rating

How 811 Alvarado 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
20th percentile

Out of 1879 buildings in this neighborhood, 1503 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
58%
No DBI
violation
42%
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.

DBI tenant complaints (past 7 years)

Formal complaints tenants filed with DBI about this building over 7 years.

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 66.9%
Moderate concern 19.8%
Severe concern 13.4%
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

811 Alvarado St event timeline

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

2025
Building Permit May 15
Unit a and unit b -unit remodel:renew kitchen and bath. add partition wall.
$85,000 · Complete
Plumbing PermitMay 15
Unit a & b - kitchen and bathroom; new toilets, bath tubs/shower, vanity sinks, appliances

See all 10 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 811 Alvarado 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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