Free SF apartment background check

261-265 Dolores St

Mission Dolores, SF 94103 3556030 6 units · 4 fl · 1910

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 Mission Dolores
At or below average
avg 2.9
0
FewerMore

This building has 0 novs (7y), at or below the Mission Dolores average of 2.9.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 261-265 Dolores 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 1910
2 or more units
6 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
RM1
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
Floors4
Year built1910
Total area7,845 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot3556030
Ownership

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

Owner name
John E Wai 1981 Lvg Tr
Mailing address
Po Box 641045 San Francisco CA 94164
Last sale
042616

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.

265 Dolores St, San Francisco, CA 94103
261 C Dolores St, San Francisco, CA 94103
261 B Dolores St, San Francisco, CA 94103
263 Dolores St, San Francisco, CA 94103
261 A Dolores St, San Francisco, CA 94103
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The four-story multi-family residential building at 261-265 Dolores Street in Mission Dolores, built in 1910, originally contained 6 units but underwent significant modifications around 2015-2016. The property, currently owned by John E. Wai 1981 Living Trust, underwent substantial improvements between 2011-2014, including the installation of three new furnaces, water heaters, and extensive electrical system upgrades with multiple new circuits and appliances. A major controversy arose in 2016 when multiple complaints were filed regarding unauthorized modifications to the building, particularly concerning parking space conversions and concrete driveway installations in the backyard, which were allegedly not in compliance with approved permits. These modifications reportedly created safety concerns for a nearby childcare facility. The building's fire safety systems were also a focus, with violations noted for alarm systems and extinguishers in mid-2015, and a historical issue with an unpermitted detached structure in the rear yard from 2007 that was finally abated in 2014.

The property has seen various permit renewals and final inspections in recent years, most notably in December 2024 when multiple permits were renewed for final inspection. Recent building permits include work related to fire alarm systems in 2021 and revisions to parking and landscaping in 2017. The building underwent a substantial bedroom reconfiguration in 2015, changing bedroom counts across multiple floors and modifying windows for egress compliance. The plumbing and electrical systems were comprehensively upgraded between 2011-2014, including the installation of new kitchens, bathrooms, and a complete fire sprinkler system. While the building's infrastructure appears to have been significantly improved over the past decade, the property has experienced recurring issues with permit compliance and unauthorized modifications, particularly regarding parking facilities and rear yard improvements.

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

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Risk rating

How 261-265 Dolores 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
29th percentile

Out of 799 buildings in this neighborhood, 567 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
53%
No DBI
violation
47%
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.

Building size

Total floor area — a proxy for building scale and the number of systems (plumbing, electrical, HVAC) that can fail.

Property class

The assessor's property-class code, which correlates with building type and the violation rates the model expects. This code is grouped with other less-common classes.

Neighborhood (ZIP code)

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

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 15.8%
Moderate concern 79.6%
Severe concern 4.5%
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

261-265 Dolores St event timeline

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

2026
311 Request May 12
Damaged tree
dead tree
Building PermitApr 09
Tear off existing roofing. install layer of underlayment paper. install layer of shingles. no hot works.

See all 13 events

Full history back to 2024 — violations, complaints, permits, buyouts, and fire incidents.

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Every record we have

Full data for 261-265 Dolores 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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