Free SF apartment background check

3851 17Th St

Eureka Valley/Dolores Heights, SF 94114 3581077 4 units · 2 fl · 1925

Nothing on record for this building in the last seven years. Our model still sees a moderate chance of maintenance problems in the next 12 months, from the owner's wider portfolio and the surrounding area rather than from anything recorded here. No public enforcement record to go on. Walk the building, ask the current tenants how repairs get handled, and get any promises in writing.

NOVs (7y) vs. neighborhood
Records already on file, against a typical building in Eureka Valley/Dolores Heights — not a forecast
At or below average
avg 1.4
0
FewerMore

This building has 0 novs (7y), at or below the Eureka Valley/Dolores Heights average of 1.4.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 3851 17Th 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 1925
2 or more units
4 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.

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 1925
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
Units4
Floors2
Year built1925
Total area4,120 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot3581077
Ownership

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

Mailing address
Crain Richard B & Mah Jeffe 3839 17Th St San Francisco CA 94114
Last sale
September 06, 2002

Landlord portfolio

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

Unlock complete report
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The two-story multi-family residential building at 3851 17th Street, registered as a 4-unit apartment complex in the Eureka Valley/Dolores Heights neighborhood, was constructed in 1925 and is currently owned by Richard B Crain & Jeffery M. The building has a documented history of maintenance and safety concerns, most recently including a completed sewer pipe replacement in the driveway in September 2023 and having undergone reroofing work in 1999. A series of significant violations were recorded in June 2001, including issues with damaged paint potentially presenting lead hazards, fire safety concerns such as damaged fire proofing, fire extinguisher maintenance, combustible storage, and various physical repairs needed to interior surfaces and security features. These violations were officially abated by August 29, 2002. There were subsequent inspections and concerns about fire proofing materials in 2011, lead hazard containment in 2008, and security issues were noted in a 1994 complaint regarding building locks.

More recent building safety incidents include two fire department responses: one for a carbon monoxide detector activation (with no CO detected) and another for a false alarm, neither resulting in civilian injuries. The property has experienced multiple street-level issues documented through 311 calls, primarily relating to parking violations, abandoned garbage, and sidewalk maintenance concerns throughout 2024. Recent 311 calls include reports of sidewalk parking, driveway blocking, and debris issues, though most were resolved through enforcement actions or inspections. While these external issues don't directly impact building safety, they do provide context about the immediate neighborhood environment.

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

Free account unlocks the full analysis — plus 2× more records across all data categories and the complete landlord portfolio.
Risk rating

How 3851 17Th 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

Lower risk — safer than most nearby

DBI rarely finds violations here. Strong maintenance history and a clean complaint record.

Typical — about average for the neighborhood

Some past violations or complaints on record. Worth asking the landlord about any open issues before signing.

Higher risk — riskier than most nearby

Elevated violation and complaint history. DBI has found issues here before and is statistically likely to again.

Neighborhood percentile
32ndpercentile

Out of 1278 buildings in this neighborhood, 869 are predicted to be safer. The band is relative to this neighborhood, so a share of every neighborhood falls in each colour.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
65%
No DBI
violation
35%
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 location

Precise location is a proxy for neighborhood-level risk — some SF blocks have systematically higher DBI activity.

Building permits, owner's portfolio

Permits pulled across all of this owner's buildings over 7 years.

12-Month risk forecast
Moderate failure risk 35%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

3851 17Th St apartment reviews

Real experiences from people who have lived here. Share yours to help other renters decide.

Share your experience — Help other renters by leaving an honest apartment review

Loading reviews…

On the map

Compare nearby alternatives

This building and nearby alternatives, color-coded by risk level. Click any marker to explore.

The story over time

3851 17Th St event timeline

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

2026
311 Request Jul 03
Damaged tree
about to fall
Tenant BuyoutJan 30
Tenant buyout · $10,000

See all 3 events

Full history back to 2023 — violations, complaints, permits, buyouts, and fire incidents.

Unlock complete timeline
Every record we have

Full data for 3851 17Th St apartments

13 SF public datasets for this parcel — permits, violations, complaints, fire records, 311 calls, planning records, and buyouts.

Side by side

How 3851 17Th St compares to the neighborhood

This building against comparable properties in Eureka Valley/Dolores Heights. Toggle filters to narrow the peer group.

Loading comparables…
Still apartment hunting in SF?

Look up the next apartment before you sign

Search any SF address free — no account needed to see the risk rating.

Simple pricing

Get the complete picture

Every plan unlocks the complete report: all 13 SF datasets, full history, landlord portfolio, and PDF & Excel exports.

Pay once

Report Bundle

For the buildings you're deciding on right now

$10one time

3premium reports

$3.33 per report · charged once, never renews

Each credit unlocks one building's premium report for 30 days.

  • 3 premium reports — AI executive summary included
  • Live data across all 27 public record types
  • 200 records per dataset
  • PDF & Excel exports included
  • Compare up to 10 buildings side-by-side
  • Credits never expire until you use them
Pay once

Apartment Hunter

For a wide search across many buildings

$39one time

30premium reports

$1.30 per report · charged once, never renews

Each credit unlocks one building's premium report for 30 days.

  • 30 premium reports — AI executive summary included
  • Live data across all 27 public record types
  • 200 records per dataset
  • PDF & Excel exports included
  • Compare up to 10 buildings side-by-side
  • Credits never expire until you use them

Cancel anytime · Data sourced from SF Open Data, DBI, SFFD, SF Rent Board & Planning

Watch 3851 17Th St
Get alerted the moment a new violation or complaint is filed.