Free SF apartment background check

388 5Th St

South of Market, SF 94107 3753009 12 units · 3 fl · 1909

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 South of Market
Above average
avg 3.3
9
FewerMore

This building has 9 novs (7y), above the South of Market average of 3.3.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 388 5Th 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 1909
2 or more units
12 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
RSD
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
Units12
Floors3
Year built1909
Total area9,810 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot3753009
Ownership

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

Owner name
Jeryn Byrne 2020 Living Tr
Mailing address
Byrne Jeryn, Ttee 5 St Francis Rd Hillsborough CA 94010
Last sale
012099

Landlord portfolio

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

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Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The three-story multi-family residential building at 388 5th Street, constructed in 1909, contains 12 units and is currently owned by the Jeryn Byrne 2020 Living Trust. The property has undergone several significant safety-related improvements over the past two decades, including completion of the mandatory soft-story retrofit program in 2016 at a cost of $90,000, and various plumbing and electrical updates in 2007 involving fixture replacements and system repairs. However, the building has experienced persistent safety and maintenance issues, particularly in recent years, with multiple fire safety violations recorded in 2024 regarding sprinkler systems, fire extinguishers, and sleeping area requirements. A 2023 complaint highlighted several concerning conditions in one unit, including water leaks, broken furnace, security issues, missing fire alarm, and mold. The building's maintenance history shows attention to structural elements, with repairs to wood stairs and siding completed between 2008-2010, though issues with fire escapes and emergency systems have recurred. Recent 311 calls from January 2025 indicate ongoing neighborhood concerns including sidewalk defects and encampments near the property, while the building's immediate vicinity has experienced multiple fire code violations in 2024 requiring correction.

The property's documented history reveals a pattern of recurring maintenance challenges and safety compliance issues, particularly regarding fire safety systems, though some progress has been made through completed retrofit programs and various building improvements. The building has undergone periodic inspections and received multiple violations requiring correction, with the most recent issues primarily focusing on fire safety systems, while earlier concerns included structural elements, plumbing, and electrical systems. The most recent tenant buyout recorded at the property occurred in March 2022 for $10,000, involving one tenant.

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

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Risk rating

How 388 5Th 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 430 buildings in this neighborhood, 391 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
15%
No DBI
violation
85%
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 12.0%
Moderate concern 73.5%
Severe concern 14.5%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

388 5Th St apartment reviews

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The story over time

388 5Th St event timeline

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

2026
311 Request Mar 12
Not offensive
fire police callbox
311 RequestFeb 07
Offensive

See all 19 events

Full history back to 2022 — violations, complaints, permits, buyouts, and fire incidents.

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Every record we have

Full data for 388 5Th 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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