Free SF apartment background check

657-659 Natoma St

South of Market, SF 94103 3727029 4 units · 2 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 657-659 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
4 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
Units4
Floors2
Year built1907
Total area2,260 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot3727029
Ownership

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

Owner name
Tvc 657 Natoma Street Llc
Mailing address
C/o Michael Cheung 16 Jessie St Apt 305 San Francisco CA 94105
Last sale
062613

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.

657 Natoma St, San Francisco, CA 94103
659 Natoma St, San Francisco, CA 94103
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The 4-unit, 2-story apartment building at 657-659 Natoma Street was built in 1907 and has undergone several significant renovations and maintenance projects over its history. The most substantial recent work occurred in 2020, when a major remodeling project valued at $810,000 was undertaken, including foundation replacement, rear stairs and deck replacement, and lightwell infill. This followed a period of serious maintenance issues, including a notable sequence of violations in 2014 regarding water leaks into the common lightwell that reportedly affected neighboring properties, which were only abated in 2016. The building experienced multiple safety and code compliance issues between 2007-2014, including violations related to fire safety (missing fire extinguishers, egress obstructions) and maintenance concerns such as combustible storage in the basement. An important recent development is a project proposal to elevate the building by approximately 7 feet to add a new story and construct a shared roof deck, though this appears to be in the planning stages as of early 2023.

The property has maintained basic infrastructure through various upgrades, including electrical system improvements (2004) and sewer repairs (2016). Historical records show earlier renovations including kitchen and bathroom updates (2004), deck replacement (2005), and roofing work (1994). The building's management has faced challenges with external maintenance issues, as evidenced by numerous 311 calls in 2024 regarding garbage and debris on the property and surrounding area. While most recent work has focused on substantial building improvements, the property's history includes periods of significant code violations and repair needs that required attention to basic safety and maintenance standards. The rear yard variance requests in planning records suggest ongoing consideration for further improvements to the property.

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 657-659 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
47th percentile

Out of 430 buildings in this neighborhood, 228 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
66%
No DBI
violation
34%
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 (ZIP code)

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

Building age

Older buildings tend to have more maintenance challenges; SF's pre-1906 earthquake housing stock carries distinct risk.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 62.2%
Moderate concern 29.7%
Severe concern 8.2%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

657-659 Natoma 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.

Buildings nearby
Loading…
The story over time

657-659 Natoma St event timeline

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

2025
311 Request Aug 21
311 service request
Encampment
311 RequestMar 25
Garbage and debris

See all 7 events

Full history back to 2020 — violations, complaints, permits, buyouts, and fire incidents.

Unlock complete timeline
Every record we have

Full data for 657-659 Natoma 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 657-659 Natoma St
Get alerted the moment a new violation or complaint is filed.