Free SF apartment background check

159-161 Leland Ave

Visitacion Valley, SF 94134 6251023 3 units · 2 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 Visitacion Valley
At or below average
avg 1.4
0
FewerMore

This building has 0 novs (7y), at or below the Visitacion Valley average of 1.4.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 159-161 Leland 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 1900
2 or more units
3 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
Units3
Floors2
Year built1900
Total area3,600 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot6251023
Ownership

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

Owner name
Chu Family Trust
Mailing address
Bing Fai Chu, Trustee 253 Peabody St San Francisco CA 94134
Last sale
050500

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.

159 Leland Ave, San Francisco, CA 94134
161 Leland Ave, San Francisco, CA 94134
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The 159-161 Leland Avenue property is a 2-story, 3-unit multi-family residential building constructed in 1900 and currently owned by the Chu Family Trust. The building has recently undergone significant maintenance work, including two separate roofing projects in September 2024, with costs totaling between $13,500 and $18,000. The electrical system received an upgrade in 2003 with the installation of a 300-amp overhead service. A concerning active electrical complaint from March 2023 involves exposed wires and safety concerns following maintenance work, which the landlord allegedly dismissed as merely unappealing. Additionally, there is an active plumbing complaint from November 1999 regarding leaking sink and shower fixtures causing odor issues.

The building's history shows a pattern of routine inspections and violations, particularly in 2001 and 2006, addressing various safety and maintenance issues including stair repairs, fire safety compliance, and security requirements. All these violations were eventually abated, though the most recent electrical complaint from 2023 remains open. Prior issues have included problems with gas meter safety, combustible storage, and handrail requirements, all of which were resolved. The property has experienced several maintenance-focused work permits, including a cancelled garage addition permit from 1985 and a completed code compliance permit from 1984. Recent public service requests from 2020-2024 primarily concern exterior maintenance issues such as garbage debris, sidewalk cleaning, and a missing side sewer vent cover, which were generally resolved through appropriate channels. The building's historical improvements and repairs suggest ongoing maintenance efforts, though the recent electrical safety concerns warrant particular attention.

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 159-161 Leland 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
38th percentile

Out of 214 buildings in this neighborhood, 133 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
82%
No DBI
violation
18%
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.

Neighborhood location

Precise location is a proxy for neighborhood-level risk — some SF blocks have systematically higher DBI activity.

DBI complaints, owner's portfolio

Complaints across all of this owner's buildings over 7 years.

Building age

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

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 69.0%
Moderate concern 25.3%
Severe concern 5.8%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

159-161 Leland Ave 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

159-161 Leland Ave event timeline

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

2025
Electrical Permit Nov 10
Sub-panel replacement
Complete
311 RequestJul 26
Garbage and debris

See all 6 events

Full history back to 2023 — violations, complaints, permits, buyouts, and fire incidents.

Unlock complete timeline
Every record we have

Full data for 159-161 Leland Ave 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 159-161 Leland Ave
Get alerted the moment a new violation or complaint is filed.