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581 Natoma St

South of Market, SF 94103 3726038 3 units · 3 fl · 1907

This building has a higher-than-average number of open problems nearby. Few open issues; problems get fixed quickly. A reasonable bet for a smooth tenancy.

NOVs (7y) vs. neighborhood
Compared to a typical building in South of Market
At or below average
avg 3.3
0
FewerMore

This building has 0 novs (7y), at or below the South of Market average of 3.3.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 581 Natoma 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 1907
2 or more units
3 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
RED
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
Units3
Floors3
Year built1907
Total area3,985 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot3726038
Ownership

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

Owner name
Rex Chiu Hung & May Chan Ch
Mailing address
Cheung Rex Chiu Hung & May 1531 22Nd Ave San Francisco CA 94122
Last sale
010801

Landlord portfolio

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

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Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

581 Natoma Street is a three-unit, three-story multi-family residential building located in the South of Market neighborhood, built in 1907 and owned by Rex Chiu Hung & May Chan Ch. The building has undergone numerous repairs and renovations over the years, with significant work completed in 1998 including foundation work, basement repairs, and addressing dry rot issues. Prior to this, there were several repairs completed in the 1990s, including kitchen and bathroom remodels in 1997, though some permits from this period expired. The building has faced multiple housing code violations, particularly in 2004 and 2009, addressing issues such as egress obstructions, self-closing door requirements, fire safety, and stair repairs, all of which were subsequently abated. Earlier concerns from the mid-1990s included blocked fire escapes and various maintenance issues, with one complaint in 1996 noting multiple problems including leaks, inadequate heating, and security concerns.

More recently, the property has experienced several infrastructure challenges, with a 2014 complaint regarding non-operational doors and gate security. The building's immediate surroundings have seen ongoing maintenance issues as evidenced by multiple 311 calls in 2023-2024, primarily related to sidewalk cleaning needs, including instances of human or animal waste removal, though these are external to the building itself. A graffiti report from September 2023 is currently open and accepted, and there was a hazardous materials report in September 2023 regarding glass. The most recent interaction with Fire Safety occurred in February 2007 with a UL Cert Verification that was found to have no merit. While the building has had its share of maintenance and safety issues over the years, it is noteworthy that many historical violations have been addressed and abated, though some recent building exterior concerns persist.

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

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Risk rating

How 581 Natoma 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
76th percentile

Out of 430 buildings in this neighborhood, 103 are predicted to be safer.

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

Neighborhood (ZIP code)

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

Building size

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

Neighborhood location

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

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 40.9%
Moderate concern 27.4%
Severe concern 31.8%
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

581 Natoma St event timeline

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

2025
311 Request May 01
Garbage and debris
human waste or urine

See all 3 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 581 Natoma 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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