Free SF apartment background check

3605 20Th St

Eureka Valley/Dolores Heights, SF 94110 3608075 24 units · 3 fl · 1904

This building has far more open problems than almost any other in the neighborhood. Renters here report frequent, slow-to-fix problems. Get repair promises in writing and check the unit before signing.

NOVs (7y) vs. neighborhood
Compared to a typical building in Eureka Valley/Dolores Heights
At or below average
avg 1.3
0
FewerMore

This building has 0 novs (7y), at or below the Eureka Valley/Dolores Heights average of 1.3.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 3605 20Th 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 1904
2 or more units
24 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
VALEN
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 1904
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
Units24
Floors3
Year built1904
Total area20,247 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot3608075
Ownership

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

Owner name
Mailing address
Steven C. Thrower 1 Bush St Ste 900 San Francisco CA 94104
Last sale
021319

Landlord portfolio

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

Unlock complete report
Multiple entrances & addresses

Included addresses

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

910 Valencia St, San Francisco, CA 94110
3605 20th St, San Francisco, CA 94110
900 Valencia St, San Francisco, CA 94110
904 Valencia St, San Francisco, CA 94110
914 Valencia St, San Francisco, CA 94110
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The property at 3605 20th Street is a 24-unit, 3-story multi-family residential building constructed in 1904, currently owned by 3605 20th I1 LLC. The building has undergone significant improvements in recent years, including accessibility upgrades completed in late 2022 with the installation of power door operators and hardware replacement to comply with the ADA requirements, along with a comprehensive sewer lateral & house trap replacement and water service line repair in September 2022. Multiple unit renovations have been completed between 2017-2021, including kitchen and bathroom remodels in Units 5, 6, 8, 11, 12, and 16, many of which involved installing new laundry facilities and updating electrical systems. The building has a completed soft-story retrofit (Tier 4) and fire alarm system upgrade in 2019 to meet current safety standards.

Recent complaints and violations indicate some ongoing maintenance challenges, including a November 2023 violation regarding sleeping area requirements and an electrical permit violation. The property has experienced periodic issues with fire safety equipment, as evidenced by multiple fire code violations and complaints between 2006-2023, though most have been addressed through corrective actions. The building's history includes several routine inspections revealing various maintenance needs, particularly in 2004, 2006, and 2014, though these issues were generally resolved. Recent complaints from 2023/2024 have included concerns about noise from construction work, potentially unauthorized remodeling, and graffiti, though most 311 calls related to the property in late 2024 were for exterior issues not directly related to building maintenance, such as street cleaning and illegal postings. The property's planning records indicate various improvements and changes of use, including barrier removal and storefront modifications, with the building maintaining active compliance with soft-story retrofit requirements.

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 3605 20Th 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
2th percentile

Out of 1278 buildings in this neighborhood, 1252 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
19%
No DBI
violation
81%
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.

Building size

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

DBI tenant complaints (past 7 years)

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

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 10.2%
Moderate concern 65.6%
Severe concern 24.3%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

3605 20Th 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

3605 20Th St event timeline

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

2026
Electrical Permit Apr 27
Reference 202601294811: approved by inspector gary clifton on 4-27-2026. for final inspection. repair water damage, light wells and walls. repair electrical wiring in dry rot areas behind walls. work is in light well area.
Complete
Planning RecordFeb 18
NEW WATERPROOFING/REPAIRS AROUND LIGHTWELL WINDOWS PER PC SECTION 1005(e)(3).

See all 26 events

Full history back to 2019 — violations, complaints, permits, buyouts, and fire incidents.

Unlock complete timeline
Every record we have

Full data for 3605 20Th St apartments

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

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.

Report Bundle

For the buildings you're deciding on right now

$10 one-time

~$3.33 per building. No subscription ever. Each credit unlocks one building's premium report for 30 days.

  • 3 full AI-powered reports
  • Download PDF reports
  • Advanced safety analysis
  • Compare multiple buildings
  • Credits never expire until you use them
  • Full public records (200 rows per dataset)
Buy 3 Reports — $10

Apartment Hunter

For a wide search across many buildings

$39 one-time

30 reports — ~$1.30 each. No subscription ever.

  • 30 full AI-powered reports
  • Download PDF reports
  • Advanced safety analysis
  • Compare multiple buildings
  • Credits never expire until you use them
  • Full public records (200 rows per dataset)
Buy 30 Reports — $39

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

Watch 3605 20Th St
Get alerted the moment a new violation or complaint is filed.