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649-653 Castro St

Eureka Valley/Dolores Heights, SF 94114 3602068 3 units · 3 fl · 1890

A handful of records on file over the last seven years, and our model sees a moderate chance of more in the next 12 months. A few records worth reading before you sign. Check whether they were closed out, and ask what was actually fixed.

NOVs (7y) vs. neighborhood
Records already on file, against a typical building in Eureka Valley/Dolores Heights — not a forecast
Above average
avg 1.4
2
FewerMore

This building has 2 novs (7y), above the Eureka Valley/Dolores Heights average of 1.4.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 649-653 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 1890
2 or more units
3 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 1890
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
Units3
Floors3
Year built1890
Total area4,704 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot3602068
Ownership

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

Owner name
Mailing address
Chu Norman & Sylvia Ttees 181 Los Robles Dr Burlingame CA 94010
Last sale
March 30, 1994

Landlord portfolio

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

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Multiple entrances & addresses

Included addresses

All street addresses sharing this blocklot that are covered by this report.

649 Castro St, San Francisco, CA 94114
651 Castro St, San Francisco, CA 94114
653 Castro St, San Francisco, CA 94114
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The property at 649-653 Castro Street is a three-unit, three-story multi-family residential building constructed in 1890, currently owned by Chu Living Trust. The building has undergone several significant renovations and faced multiple compliance issues over the years. Most notably, there is currently an active complaint from December 2021 regarding heating issues (complaint #202185408) and an active plumbing violation from the same period. The building has seen substantial bathroom improvements, including the addition of new half-bathrooms and renovations to existing facilities in 2010-2011, though there were previous issues with unauthorized bathroom additions, particularly in 2007 when a complaint was filed about an unpermitted bathroom installation.

The property has a documented history of deck-related maintenance issues, with multiple permits from 2002-2003 addressing dry rot repairs to the rear decks across all three levels. Electrical improvements have been made over the years, including a ceiling fan installation in 2016 and kitchen rewiring in 2010. Earlier building violations from 2002-2007 involved various issues including stair maintenance, plumbing problems, and concerns about combustible storage, though these have been categorized as not active. The building's most recent history includes several 311 calls in 2023-2024 related to street cleaning and debris removal, though these are external to the building itself. The property's permit history demonstrates ongoing maintenance and improvement work, though the presence of active complaints suggests some current compliance issues remain unresolved.

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

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Risk rating

How 649-653 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

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
27thpercentile

Out of 1278 buildings in this neighborhood, 933 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
61%
No DBI
violation
39%
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.

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.

NOV rate, owner's portfolio

Per-building NOV rate across everything this owner manages — high rates signal pattern neglect.

12-Month risk forecast
Moderate failure risk 39%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

649-653 Castro St apartment reviews

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On the map

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The story over time

649-653 Castro St event timeline

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

2023
311 Request Apr 26
Bulky items
Boxed or Bagged Items
311 RequestMar 24
Bulky items

See all 5 events

Full history back to 2021 — violations, complaints, permits, buyouts, and fire incidents.

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Every record we have

Full data for 649-653 Castro St apartments

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

Side by side

How 649-653 Castro St compares to the neighborhood

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

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

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