Free SF apartment background check

1215 Castro St

Noe Valley, SF 94114 3656026 7 units · 4 fl · 1911

This building has far more open problems than almost any other in the neighborhood. A handful of unresolved issues. Worth a careful walk-through and pointed questions.

NOVs (7y) vs. neighborhood
Compared to a typical building in Noe Valley
At or below average
avg 1.2
0
FewerMore

This building has 0 novs (7y), at or below the Noe Valley average of 1.2.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 1215 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 1911
2 or more units
7 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
RH2
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
Units7
Floors4
Year built1911
Total area8,542 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot3656026
Ownership

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

Owner name
John D Moriarty 2012 Revoca
Mailing address
Moriarty John D Trustee 120 Forest Side Ave San Francisco CA 94127
Last sale
000000

Landlord portfolio

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

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Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The four-story, seven-unit apartment building at 1215 Castro Street in Noe Valley, owned by John D Moriarty 2012 Revocable Trust, has a documented history of both maintenance issues and safety concerns since its construction in 1911. Most recently, in July 2023, serious concerns were raised about the structural integrity of the rear stairs/fire escape, particularly at the upper levels, with reports indicating noticeable shaking during use. This follows a concerning pattern of stairway-related issues, including a 2011 complaint about an unauthorized porch conversion impacting fire exit access, and historical violations from 2001 citing stair repairs as necessary. The building has undergone multiple inspections revealing various maintenance needs, including a 2006 complaint about deteriorating siding, rodent infestation, and the presence of asbestos, and earlier issues in 1994 related to roof leaks. During the early 2000s, the building faced several violations requiring attention to fire safety equipment, including fire extinguisher recharging and smoke detector replacement. More recent interactions with city services in 2024 have largely involved exterior issues such as graffiti and sidewalk debris, though these are not directly related to building safety or habitability.

The building's safety record includes two carbon monoxide incidents - one in 2017 and another in 2018 - though neither resulted in civilian injuries. The most pressing current concern remains the stability of the rear stairs/fire escape structure, which has been documented as recently as July 2023. While many historical violations have been resolved, the frequency of past issues suggests an ongoing need for attentive maintenance, particularly regarding safety systems and structural elements. The property underwent a reroofing project in 1994, though records indicate this permit has since expired. The building has passed routine apartment inspections over the years, with the most recent being conducted in 2008, but the age of this inspection relative to current conditions is notable.

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

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Risk rating

How 1215 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
9th percentile

Out of 1879 buildings in this neighborhood, 1710 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
44%
No DBI
violation
56%
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.

Number of units

The number of units affects how the model reads complaint and violation totals — more units means more potential sources.

DBI tenant complaints (past 7 years)

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

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 43.8%
Moderate concern 46.6%
Severe concern 9.6%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

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The story over time

1215 Castro St event timeline

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

2026
311 Request Jan 08
Parking on sidewalk
Parking Enforcement

See all 6 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 1215 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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