Free SF apartment background check

3279 Cesar Chavez St

Bernal Heights, SF 94110 5501071 5 units · 2 fl · 1925

This building has far more open problems than almost any other in the neighborhood. A handful of unresolved issues. Worth a careful walk-through and pointed questions.

NOVs (7y) vs. neighborhood
Compared to a typical building in Bernal Heights
Above average
avg 1.2
11
FewerMore

This building has 11 novs (7y), above the Bernal Heights average of 1.2.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 3279 Cesar Chavez 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 1925
2 or more units
5 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
Units5
Floors2
Year built1925
Total area3,476 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot5501071
Ownership

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

Owner name
Kenneth A Tonna Revoc Trust
Mailing address
Kenneth A Tonna, Trustee P.O. Box 2201 Brisbane CA 94005
Last sale
100600

Landlord portfolio

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

Unlock complete report
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

3279 Cesar Chavez Street is a 2-story, 5-unit multi-family residential building located in Bernal Heights, constructed in 1925 and currently owned by the Kenneth A Tonna Revocable Trust. The property has undergone several significant improvements over the years, most notably completing a seismic upgrade in 2017 to comply with San Francisco's mandatory soft-story retrofit program, which was performed at a cost of $48,000. Other historical improvements include a reroofing project completed in 1989 and code compliance work in 1986.

The building has experienced multiple maintenance and safety issues in recent years, with the most pressing concerns centering around water damage and security. In 2021, there was an unresolved ceiling leak problem in Unit 1A (the in-law unit) that began in March and continued through August of that year, despite the landlord's attempts to address the issue. Prior to this, in 2016, there were multiple violations related to mold, interior surfaces, and security requirements, all of which were abated by April 20, 2016. Historical complaints dating back to 2014 documented problems with water leaks causing electrical hazards and mold in common areas, and a 1998 complaint raised concerns about security and various maintenance issues across multiple units. The building's common areas and exterior have been the subject of numerous 311 calls in recent months (through 2025), primarily regarding garbage and debris, though these exterior maintenance issues are handled by city services rather than the building management.

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 3279 Cesar Chavez 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
8th percentile

Out of 1276 buildings in this neighborhood, 1174 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
45%
No DBI
violation
55%
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.

DBI tenant complaints (past 7 years)

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

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 45.0%
Moderate concern 32.4%
Severe concern 22.6%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

3279 Cesar Chavez 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

Create account

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

3279 Cesar Chavez St event timeline

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

2025
Building Permit May 21
Repair (10 steps) stairway - response to nov#202536411 item #4: replace 4 rotten steps, build 1st step concrete. replace handrail. up to code. from ground floor to second floor. less than 50% repair (not visible from the street)
$4,500 · Complete
Building Violation (NOV)Apr 15
Building violation

See all 10 events

Full history back to 2021 — violations, complaints, permits, buyouts, and fire incidents.

Unlock complete timeline
Every record we have

Full data for 3279 Cesar Chavez 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.

Search another address Get full report
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
Most Popular Current plan

Renter

For the weeks when the stakes are highest

$10/mo

Billed $120/year — save $24 vs monthly

  • Unlimited basic reports
  • 5 premium AI reports per month
  • Download PDF & Excel reports
  • Full public records (200 rows per dataset)
  • Full event timeline — every year of history
  • Landlord portfolio & ownership insights
Start Your Search

Less than $0.34/day. Cancel anytime.

Cancel anytime · Data sourced from SF Open Data, DBI, SFFD, SF Rent Board & Planning

Watch 3279 Cesar Chavez St
Get alerted the moment a new violation or complaint is filed.