Free SF apartment background check

1183-1185 Howard St

South of Market, SF 94103 3730039 2 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 1183-1185 Howard 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
2 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
SLR
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 1907
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
Units2
Floors2
Year built1907
Total area3,480 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot3730039
Ownership

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

Mailing address
981 Howard St San Francisco CA 94103
Last sale
051719

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.

1185 Howard St, San Francisco, CA 94103
1183 Howard St, San Francisco, CA 94103
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The two-unit, two-story multi-family residential building at 1183-1185 Howard Street, owned by 1183 Howard Street LLC, was constructed in 1907 in the South of Market neighborhood. The building has undergone several significant improvements over the past decades, including rear porch window replacements in 2012, an electrical system upgrade from fusers to breakers in 2013, and reroofing in 2000. A tenant buyout occurred in February 2019, involving one tenant with a compensation of $20,000.

The property has experienced recurring fire safety concerns, with multiple historical complaints about blocked exits (2017 and 2019), sprinkler/standpipe systems (2024), and various uncategorized issues (2009-2011), though most were resolved promptly. An active commercial vacancy complaint was filed in March 2023, and the building's recent history has seen numerous 311 calls between late 2024 and early 2025, primarily regarding encampments and garbage issues in the surrounding area. The building's fire incident record shows several false alarms and system malfunctions, with one recorded cooking fire in a container that resulted in no civilian injuries. The property's maintenance history includes multiple street space permits (2019) and shows regular attention to infrastructure upgrades, though recent complaints about building vacancies and surrounding area conditions may merit attention.

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 1183-1185 Howard 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
53th percentile

Out of 430 buildings in this neighborhood, 202 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
73%
No DBI
violation
27%
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.

DBI tenant complaints (past 7 years)

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

Property class: apartment building

Apartment building — this property classification influences expected violation rates.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 47.4%
Moderate concern 40.4%
Severe concern 12.2%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

1183-1185 Howard 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

1183-1185 Howard St event timeline

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

2025
311 Request Sep 15
Garbage and debris
other loose garbage debris yard waste
311 RequestSep 15
Blocked sidewalk

See all 7 events

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

Unlock complete timeline
Every record we have

Full data for 1183-1185 Howard 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 1183-1185 Howard St
Get alerted the moment a new violation or complaint is filed.