Free SF apartment background check

4959-4961 Mission St

Excelsior, SF 94112 6346006B 2 units · 2 fl · 1916

This building has significantly more problems than most nearby buildings. Few open issues; problems get fixed quickly. A reasonable bet for a smooth tenancy.

NOVs (7y) vs. neighborhood
Compared to a typical building in Excelsior
At or below average
avg 1.4
0
FewerMore

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

Rent & eviction protection

Is 4959-4961 Mission 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 1916
2 or more units
2 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
NC3
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
Floors2
Year built1916
Total area2,329 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot6346006B
Ownership

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

Owner name
Walter F Iii & Barbara J Re
Mailing address
Walter Renner Prop Mgmt 1243 Broadway Burlingame CA 94010
Last sale
022696

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.

4959 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94112
4961 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94112
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The property at 4959-4961 Mission Street is a two-unit, two-story multi-family residential building with ground floor commercial space, constructed in 1916. The building has a concerning history of unauthorized modifications and improper use, with multiple complaints between 2018 and 2024 reporting illegal unit conversions and occupancy violations. Most recently, in October 2024, there was a complaint about unpermitted construction work in what was supposed to be a single-family residence with ground floor business, now allegedly occupied by three or four families, with reported hazardous fumes. Earlier complaints from 2020 also noted potential boarding house conditions and unauthorized construction, while multiple reports in late 2018 documented unpermitted plumbing work and modifications. The building has experienced some legitimate infrastructure work, including drainage pipe repairs in 2017, and has had fire-related repairs completed in 1991 and 1992.

The property has been subject to numerous sanitation and public safety concerns in the surrounding area in recent months, with multiple 311 calls between 2023-2024 regarding garbage, debris, and hazardous materials on nearby streets and sidewalks. There were eight such incidents reported in 2024 alone, including abandoned furniture, hazardous liquids, and human or animal waste, most of which were resolved by Recology or the Department of Public Works. While these street-level issues don't directly indicate problems with the building itself, they do suggest challenges with the immediate neighborhood environment. The building's permit history shows primarily minor work, including sign and awning installations in the 1990s, with no major renovations or improvements recorded in recent years.

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 4959-4961 Mission 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
15th percentile

Out of 337 buildings in this neighborhood, 286 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
51%
No DBI
violation
49%
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 tenant complaints (past 7 years)

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

Property class: apartment building

Apartment building — this property classification influences expected violation rates.

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 32.3%
Moderate concern 41.5%
Severe concern 26.3%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

4959-4961 Mission 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

4959-4961 Mission St event timeline

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

2024
DBI Complaint Oct 02
Date last observed: 27-sep-24; time last observed: 1500; identity of person performing the work: male residents.; floor: 2; exact location: main bldg; building type: residence/dwelling illegal unit; work w/o permit; illegal change of use; other building; ; additional information: construction with no visibly posted permit. is a single family residence, with a business on the first floor, being used as apartments occupied by three or four families. noticable smell of gasoline and fumes from various equipment used.;
Building Inspection Division
311 RequestJan 09
Christmas tree

See all 6 events

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

Unlock complete timeline
Every record we have

Full data for 4959-4961 Mission 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 4959-4961 Mission St
Get alerted the moment a new violation or complaint is filed.