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161-167 Castro St

Duboce Triangle, SF 94114 3540037 8 units · 4 fl · 1900

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

NOVs (7y) vs. neighborhood
Compared to a typical building in Duboce Triangle
Above average
avg 2.3
3
FewerMore

This building has 3 novs (7y), above the Duboce Triangle average of 2.3.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 161-167 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 1900
2 or more units
8 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
Units8
Floors4
Year built1900
Total area5,520 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusHome Owners
Blocklot3540037
Ownership

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

Owner name
Nelson Thomas Irvine
Mailing address
167a Castro St San Francisco CA 94114
Last sale
040821

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.

161 Castro St, San Francisco, CA 94114
165 Castro St, San Francisco, CA 94114
167 Castro St, San Francisco, CA 94114
163 Castro St, San Francisco, CA 94114
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The four-story, eight-unit multi-family residential building at 161-167 Castro Street in Duboce Triangle, owned by Nelson Thomas Irvine and built in 1900, has undergone several significant renovations and faced various compliance challenges over the years. The most substantial work occurred in 2008-2010, including comprehensive electrical rewiring of all apartments, kitchen and bathroom remodels, and the installation of 4 fireplaces. Building improvements also included foundation sill bolting, though there was one complaint in 2008 about construction work potentially exceeding permitted scope. The property experienced multiple violations in 2001 related to fire safety and code compliance, including issues with smoke detectors and emergency escape ladders, all of which were resolved by November 2001. A notable compliance concern arose in 2014 regarding the mandatory Soft Story Retrofit Program, which was subsequently addressed.

More recent maintenance and safety concerns have been relatively minimal, with the most recent 311 calls primarily related to exterior maintenance issues such as tree overgrowth (opened September 2024), graffiti (resolved September 2023), and general street cleaning (resolved July 2023). The building's mechanical systems have seen some updates, including a tankless water heater installation in 2018, though this permit expired. Historical records indicate regular maintenance and inspections, with the property generally complying with required updates and repairs, particularly regarding fire safety systems and building structure, though some work required multiple permits to properly finalize. The building's maintenance history shows a pattern of addressing violations promptly, particularly during the significant renovation period of 2008-2010 when multiple systems and safety improvements were implemented across all units.

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

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Risk rating

How 161-167 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
23th percentile

Out of 287 buildings in this neighborhood, 221 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
51%
No DBI
violation
49%
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.

Number of floors

Building height affects maintenance complexity and is one of the size signals the model uses.

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 40.1%
Moderate concern 31.1%
Severe concern 28.8%
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

161-167 Castro St event timeline

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

2026
311 Request May 22
Not offensive
sidewalk in front of property
Building Violation (NOV)May 18
Building violation

See all 7 events

Full history back to 2025 — violations, complaints, permits, buyouts, and fire incidents.

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Every record we have

Full data for 161-167 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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