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1522 Howard St

South of Market, SF 94103 3511013 7 units · 3 fl · 1916

This building has more problems than most buildings in this neighborhood. A handful of unresolved issues. Worth a careful walk-through and pointed questions.

NOVs (7y) vs. neighborhood
Compared to a typical building in South of Market
At or below average
avg 3.3
1
FewerMore

This building has 1 novs (7y), at or below the South of Market average of 3.3.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 1522 Howard 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 1916
2 or more units
7 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
SLR
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.

Statewide backstop · AB 1482

California Tenant Protection Act of 2019

Even when a building isn't covered by local rent stabilization, the statewide Tenant Protection Act (AB 1482) may still apply. It caps annual rent increases and requires the landlord to state a legal reason to end most tenancies.

15+ years since occupancy
Built 1916
Annual rent increase cap
5% + CPI, max 10%
Just-cause eviction
After 12 months
Local rent control likely takes priority. This building appears to fall under the local ordinance above, which is stronger than AB 1482. Where a local just-cause ordinance applies, its rules govern instead of the state cap.

AB 1482 does not apply to single-family homes and condos unless owned by a corporation, REIT, or an LLC with a corporate member; to owner-occupied duplexes; or to deed-restricted affordable housing. The Act is in effect until January 1, 2030. Not legal advice — see the California landlord–tenant guide.

Building characteristics
Units7
Floors3
Year built1916
Total area4,575 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot3511013
Ownership

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

Mailing address
320 Highland Ter Woodside CA 94062
Last sale
042199

Landlord portfolio

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

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Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The 7-unit, 3-story multi-family residential building at 1522 Howard Street in the South of Market neighborhood, constructed in 1916, has undergone several significant improvements and faced multiple challenges over the past two decades. Most recently, in 2024, residents reported persistent elevator issues, with lights out and beeping problems following prior notifications to the owner. The building successfully completed its mandatory soft-story retrofit in 2018 (Tier 3) and received building permits for substantial improvements, including the addition of an ADU in 2020 ($120,000) and a kitchen/bathroom remodel in Unit 4 in 2018 ($45,000).

The property has a history of safety and maintenance concerns, particularly in the 2000s and 2010s, including multiple violations related to lead paint hazards, handrail deficiencies, and stairway conditions. While these issues were addressed, including repairs to the garbage chute and various safety inspections, the building faced recurring problems with elevator maintenance, furnace systems, and common area upkeep. Recent maintenance records show ongoing attention to plumbing and electrical systems, with the 2022 installation of new infrastructure for the ADU including a subpanel and utility connections. A tenant buyout occurred in May 2023 for $15,000. Recent 311 calls from late 2024 primarily relate to exterior graffiti and street cleaning issues, though these are mostly external to the building itself.

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

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Risk rating

How 1522 Howard 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
25th percentile

Out of 430 buildings in this neighborhood, 322 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
39%
No DBI
violation
61%
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 (ZIP code)

The ZIP code captures local housing market and enforcement patterns that affect all buildings in the area.

DBI tenant complaints (past 7 years)

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

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 25.3%
Moderate concern 31.6%
Severe concern 43.1%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

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The story over time

1522 Howard St event timeline

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

2026
Planning Record Jun 29
Block Book Notice
Closed - Approved
Building PermitJan 30
Exterior dry rot repairs and stucco repairs. street visible, less than 50%. in kind

See all 18 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 1522 Howard 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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