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2527-2531 San Bruno Ave

Portola, SF 94134 5438043 10 units · 2 fl · 1961

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 Portola
At or below average
avg 1.8
0
FewerMore

This building has 0 novs (7y), at or below the Portola average of 1.8.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 2527-2531 San Bruno Ave 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 1961
2 or more units
10 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
NC2
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
Units10
Floors2
Year built1961
Total area8,478 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot5438043
Ownership

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

Owner name
Samuel A Pinfold Tr
Mailing address
Bartke Paul W Ttee 30 Lorton Ave Apt 203 Burlingame CA 94010
Last sale
041703

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.

2529 San Bruno Ave, San Francisco, CA 94134
2531 San Bruno Ave, San Francisco, CA 94134
2527 San Bruno Ave, San Francisco, CA 94134
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The property at 2527-2531 San Bruno Ave is a two-story mixed-use building constructed in 1961, containing 10 residential units and commercial space. The building has undergone several significant improvements in recent years, most notably completing mandatory soft-story seismic retrofitting in 2018-2019 at a cost of approximately $130,000, and reroofing in 2022 costing $35,400. Recent electrical improvements include replacing a sub-panel and installing emergency lighting in August 2024, as well as survey work for a new commercial meter in January 2020. The building's fire safety systems have required regular attention, with multiple fire alarm system complaints between 2011-2024, though most were resolved promptly with "Condition Corrected" outcomes. The property has maintained its commercial use as a restaurant (La Placita), with various permits for health and alcohol requirements being approved.

The building's maintenance history shows active management, particularly in addressing safety requirements. Historical violations from 2001, 2004, and 2010 related to fire safety systems, smoke detectors, and building maintenance have all been abated, though there was one complaint about unauthorized kitchen construction in 2012. Recent 311 calls from 2023-2024 have primarily concerned exterior maintenance issues such as graffiti and sidewalk cleaning, with most cases being resolved. A notable fire safety inspection in August 2024 resulted in an extinguisher-related citation that was corrected by September 2024. The building has received regular housing inspections, with the most recent routine inspection in 2010 showing typical maintenance requirements for a property of this age and size.

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

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Risk rating

How 2527-2531 San Bruno Ave'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
8th percentile

Out of 255 buildings in this neighborhood, 235 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
21%
No DBI
violation
79%
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.

Building size

Total floor area — a proxy for building scale and the number of systems (plumbing, electrical, HVAC) that can fail.

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 6.5%
Moderate concern 82.8%
Severe concern 10.7%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

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The story over time

2527-2531 San Bruno Ave event timeline

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

2025
Electrical Permit Mar 19
11847- remove existing fpe meter/main. install siemens 100a, meter/main for 8 units, 1 house, 2 commercial units
Complete

See all 12 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 2527-2531 San Bruno Ave 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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