Free SF apartment background check

521-523 Utah St

Potrero Hill, SF 94110 4012025 3 units · 3 fl · 1904

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 521-523 Utah 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 1904
2 or more units
3 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
RH2
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 built1904
Total area3,305 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusHome Owners
Blocklot4012025
Ownership

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

Owner name
Costello-Good Jesse
Mailing address
523 Utah St San Francisco CA 94110
Last sale
040620

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.

523 Utah St, San Francisco, CA 94110
521 Utah St, San Francisco, CA 94110
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

Located in San Francisco's Potrero Hill neighborhood, 521-523 Utah Street is a three-unit multi-family residential building constructed in 1904. The property has undergone significant renovations and maintenance over the past decade, with the most recent work in 2020 involving bathroom updates on the top floor. Substantial improvements were made in 2018-2019, including a $45,000 kitchen and bathroom renovation with associated plumbing and electrical updates, installation of a roof deck for the fourth floor occupant, and various window replacements totaling over $15,000. The building has had notable maintenance issues in the past, including several violations identified in 2003 related to fire safety, security, and building maintenance (such as stair repairs and fire escape ladder conditions), though these were all abated by September 2003.

Earlier complaints from 2012 raised concerns about broken windows, heating problems, plumbing issues, and water damage, which were subsequently addressed. The property has undergone various infrastructure upgrades, including furnace installations in 2012 and recent bathroom renovations. Historical records show the building's windows have been upgraded multiple times between 2017-2019, with both visible and non-visible windows replaced with energy-efficient options. The building's exterior has been the subject of various maintenance calls regarding paint conditions, with a notable 2004 complaint about peeling paint potentially posing lead hazard concerns, though these were resolved within weeks. Recent activity at the address has been minimal, with the most recent 311 calls in 2024-2021 being unrelated to building conditions, primarily involving street cleaning and public works matters.

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 521-523 Utah 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
54th percentile

Out of 726 buildings in this neighborhood, 334 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
76%
No DBI
violation
24%
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 age

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

Estimated permit spend (past 7 years)

Dollar value of permits pulled at this address — large recent spend can signal deferred-maintenance catch-up.

Owner's portfolio size

Number of SF parcels this owner is registered on — larger portfolios have distinct risk patterns.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 65.9%
Moderate concern 27.3%
Severe concern 6.7%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

521-523 Utah 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

521-523 Utah St event timeline

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

2025
Electrical Permit Aug 19
Solar pv plan#7054. 12 pv modules, 435 watts, 5.22 kw.batteries. please notify district fire inspector at the start of work 415-734-2103
Complete
Building PermitMay 01
Re-roofing no torch down.

See all 4 events

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

Unlock complete timeline
Every record we have

Full data for 521-523 Utah 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 521-523 Utah St
Get alerted the moment a new violation or complaint is filed.