Free SF apartment background check

1200 4Th St

Mission Bay, SF 94158 8711017 177 units · 6 fl · 2016

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 Mission Bay
Above average
avg 9.8
30
FewerMore

This building has 30 novs (7y), above the Mission Bay average of 9.8.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 1200 4Th 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 2016
2 or more units
177 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
N/A
Not rent-controlled. Buildings constructed after 1978 are generally exempt from SF rent increase limits under the Costa-Hawkins Act.

Based on SF Assessor records. Not legal advice — confirm with the SF Rent Board.

Building characteristics
Units177
Floors6
Year built2016
Total area328,225 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot8711017
Ownership

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

Owner name
Essex Portfolio Lp
Mailing address
Grant Thornton, Llp (tax Ag Po Box 4747 Oak Brook IL 60522
Last sale
032520

Landlord portfolio

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

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Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The 177-unit, 6-story apartment building at 1200 4th Street in Mission Bay, owned by Essex Portfolio LP and completed in 2016, has experienced several significant maintenance and safety issues since its opening. Most notably, the building suffered major fire damage during construction in March 2014, impacting the wood frame structure, interior partitions, and roof system. Recent maintenance activities include an ongoing $3.56 million roof repair project initiated in February 2024 to address wood rot and insulation issues, and various fire safety system upgrades throughout 2021-2022. The building has experienced recurring fire safety violations, with several documented issues between 2022-2024, including problems with the alarm system, sprinkler system, and sleeping area requirements. Multiple tenant complaints regarding boiler permit renewals, water damage, and mold issues have been recorded, particularly a concerning incident in 2022 involving water damage and mold in a closet area with reports of insect infestation. More recent complaints from 2023-2024 focus on garbage chutes and waste management issues, including broken doors and overflowing garbage concerns. The building's maintenance history shows regular plumbing and electrical work, including the installation of a new spa boiler in 2023, foundation repairs in 2021, and various tenant improvements including a dental office build-out completed in 2019. The property has also faced challenges with illegal short-term rentals, which were addressed and abated in 2020. While some violations have been abated, others remain open or were recently closed with the requirement for corrective action, indicating ongoing maintenance and compliance challenges. The building's fire safety system has received particular attention, with multiple upgrades and repairs, though recent fire violations and complaints suggest continuing oversight requirements in this area.

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

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Risk rating

How 1200 4Th 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
5th percentile

Out of 20 buildings in this neighborhood, 19 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
6%
No DBI
violation
94%
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.

Building size

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

Number of units

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

NOV rate, owner's portfolio

Per-building NOV rate across everything this owner manages — high rates signal pattern neglect.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 2.7%
Moderate concern 78.8%
Severe concern 18.6%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

1200 4Th St apartment reviews

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On the map

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The story over time

1200 4Th St event timeline

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

2026
Fire Complaint Jun 09
Extinguishers
Plumbing PermitFeb 27
Commercial: new plumbing fixtures for dog bathing area, break room, dog day care room, new sink.

See all 30 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 1200 4Th St 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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