Free SF apartment background check

659-661 San Jose Ave

Bernal Heights, SF 94110 6597030 4 units · 2 fl · 1908

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
At or below average
avg 1.2
0
FewerMore

This building has 0 novs (7y), at or below the Bernal Heights average of 1.2.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 659-661 San Jose 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 1908
2 or more units
4 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
Units4
Floors2
Year built1908
Total area3,584 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot6597030
Ownership

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

Owner name
Lois E Low Revoc Lvg Tr
Mailing address
Lois E Low, Ttee 149 Molimo Dr San Francisco CA 94127
Last sale
092094

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.

661 San Jose Ave, San Francisco, CA 94110
659 San Jose Ave, San Francisco, CA 94110
Augrented Insights
AI summary

The property at 659-661 San Jose Avenue in Bernal Heights is a two-story multi-family residential building constructed in 1908, containing 4 units and currently owned by the Lois E Low Revoc Lvg Trust. The building has experienced persistent maintenance and safety concerns, particularly related to an illegal in-law unit (661 1/2) that has generated multiple complaints between 2016 and 2020 regarding hazardous conditions including lack of heat, exposed wiring, mold, and blocked emergency exits. The most recent and significant cluster of complaints was filed in February 2020, describing severe habitability issues including mice infestations in the kitchen and mold in the bathroom, with documented complaints about these conditions dating back to 2016. The building's electrical infrastructure has seen recent upgrades, with a completed 400-amp service installation in 2018, though two previous attempts to secure this work (in 2016 and 1994) were either expired or uncompleted.

The property has undergone several routine inspections by Housing Inspection Services between 1997 and 2008, but many recent complaints appear to have gone unaddressed or marked as "not active." In addition to the building's interior issues, there have been recurring problems with vehicles blocking driveways in 2022 and 2023, and occasional reports of human or animal waste on the property exterior. While a fire complaint was filed in 2016, it was determined to have "no merit." The extensive history of complaints and safety concerns, particularly regarding the illegal unit and its hazardous conditions, indicates ongoing challenges with building maintenance and resident safety, though some infrastructure improvements such as the electrical service upgrade have been completed.

Create a free account to read the full AI summary and unlock the complete report.
Risk rating

How 659-661 San Jose 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
7th percentile

Out of 1276 buildings in this neighborhood, 1187 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
41%
No DBI
violation
59%
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.

Number of units

The number of units affects how the model reads complaint and violation totals — more units means more potential sources.

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 33.5%
Moderate concern 33.6%
Severe concern 32.9%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

659-661 San Jose 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

Sign in 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

659-661 San Jose Ave event timeline

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

2025
311 Request Nov 18
Blocking driveway cite tow
Parking Enforcement
311 RequestMar 22
Blocking driveway cite tow

See all 6 events

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

Unlock complete timeline
Every record we have

Full data for 659-661 San Jose 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 659-661 San Jose Ave
Get alerted the moment a new violation or complaint is filed.