Free SF apartment background check

514-516 Vermont St

Potrero Hill, SF 94107 4011002 2 units · 3 fl · 1900

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 Potrero Hill
At or below average
avg 1.1
0
FewerMore

This building has 0 novs (7y), at or below the Potrero Hill average of 1.1.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 514-516 Vermont 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 1900
2 or more units
2 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
RH3
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
Units2
Floors3
Year built1900
Total area2,571 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot4011002
Ownership

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

Owner name
Chin Peter & Lai Susan
Mailing address
318 Tara St San Francisco CA 94112
Last sale
000000

Landlord portfolio

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

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Multiple entrances & addresses

Included addresses

All street addresses sharing this blocklot that are covered by this report.

514 Vermont St, San Francisco, CA 94107
516 Vermont St, San Francisco, CA 94107
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The property at 514-516 Vermont Street is a three-story, two-unit multi-family residential building constructed in 1900, currently owned by Peter Chin and Susan Lai. The building's maintenance history shows several significant improvements, including a substantial renovation in 2016 costing $31,200 that updated the bathroom and kitchen, replaced four back windows and a sliding glass door, installed new engineering flooring, and completed painting work - all of which was performed with no visible impact to the street. Earlier maintenance included a complete reroofing in 2013 ($5,000) and repairs to both front and back stairs in response to violations in 2003 ($2,000).

Of particular concern is an active complaint from November 2024 regarding an alleged illegal unit on the top floor, with reports of a dangerous, deteriorating deck, unstable wood and tarp constructions, and a bucket installation at a high location. This recent complaint has been referred to the Department of Building Inspection (DBI) for investigation. The building's location in Potrero Hill has experienced periodic issues with street cleaning and debris management in 2024, as evidenced by multiple 311 calls, though these are external to the building itself and relate to public spaces. Historical violations from 2003 regarding stair repairs and building permits were resolved by January 2004, and there have been various reports of graffiti and public space maintenance issues in 2024, though these were primarily related to street and sidewalk conditions rather than the building itself.

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

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Risk rating

How 514-516 Vermont 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
85th percentile

Out of 726 buildings in this neighborhood, 109 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
85%
No DBI
violation
15%
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.

DBI complaint rate, owner's portfolio

Per-building complaint rate across the owner's portfolio.

Building age

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

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 73.4%
Moderate concern 18.6%
Severe concern 8.0%
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

514-516 Vermont St event timeline

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

2024
DBI Complaint Nov 19
The property has an illegal unit on the top floor. the renters are using a dangerous deck that is falling a part and the wood and tarp on this floor is falling. they have also installed a bucket on the wall (3 story high) and replaced their old tarp with a new blue tarp that feels like an extension of their wall.
Housing Inspection Services
Planning RecordSep 23
The property has an illegal unit on the top floor. The renters are using a dangerous deck that is falling a part and the wood and tarp on this floor is falling. They have also installed a bucket on the wall (3 story high) and replaced their old tarp with a new blue tarp that feels like an extension of their wall. The Department of Building Inspection (DBI) is the lead agency for work without a permit. This complaint has been referred to DBI by Planning see DBI Complaint Number 202431042. To file a complaint directly with DBI please visit their website: https://www.sf.gov/report-building-problem

See all 3 events

Full history back to 2024 — violations, complaints, permits, buyouts, and fire incidents.

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Every record we have

Full data for 514-516 Vermont St apartments

13 SF public datasets for this parcel — permits, violations, complaints, fire records, 311 calls, planning records, and buyouts.

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