Good Earth Realty

She has kept the «Javaholics» building (6^th and Balboa) vacant for several years. It is never clean, and she only pretends to be interested in renting. I am not sure how she benefits from keeping this building empty… I assume she has a CPA that has advised her to show this building as a loss on her P&L. She is no good for the neighborhood.

*ALERT* DO NOT NEGOTIATE WITH MRS. LAU… She is one of the sketchiest, most untrustworthy, scamming landlords out there. She will try her best to make it seem she’s giving you a deal and pressure you to act quickly but don’t even bother getting yourself into that situation. My two friends and I tried to rent one of her apartments and she have us the hardest time. Constantly changing our agreement, sudden fees that that she never mentioned until the last minute, asking for money up front. We thankfully saw past her bullshit and were smart enough to not give her a single penny. If anyone is desperate enough to decide to rent something from her, don’t give her a single penny until you have carefully looked over the lease and she has given you the keys right there and then. Otherwise just walk away.

Run! This woman used whiteout on the contract to change dates and alter it! Electric problems, sewer problems and mice. Go to a hotel. DO NOT GO NEAR THIS DUMP AND DEVIL. She will devour the kind and inexperienced tenant. Building needs to be condemned, and she should be fined. Place is a Firetrap. We are filing our small claims case with our attorney tomorrow. She’s gone too far this time with fraud, altering a legal contract.

I would also give Sophie Laus and Co a negative rating if possible. I am currently renting a unit from them that has consistent electrical problems and they refuse to fix it. Apparently a microwave, stove and refrigerator in the kitchen is too much to ask.
They will give you the run around on every possible item. They also send illegal aliens for maintenance and repairs.
Also any security deposit they ask for is refundable — do not let them tell you otherwise.
I am now sitting in an apartment without power with my 7yr old son. Sophie’s response to my call was to call PG and E. When I told her it was her property and she needed to make the call she hung up on me.
My refrigerator has been leaking gallons of water for weeks now. They refuse to fix it. They also have an electrical extension placed on the floor next to the refrigerator that is leaking.
The bathroom sink leaks non stop. Mr. Lau came to fix it and his fix was to shut off the hot water to the sink for a week.
My bath tub is now leaking as well. Non stop drips. I asked them to fix it but told them that under no uncertain terms would I approve of the hot water being shut off for a week.
Rent of you are desperate but beware, it comes with a price of constant nagging and hazardous living conditions. How these people are even in business is beyond me.

DO NOT do business with Good Earth Realty or it’s owner Sophie Lau. She is truly evil and not a fair or honest person. My son and his friends were getting ready to sign a lease with her for an apartment yesterday. She was requesting CASH for the security deposit. That in it’s self should have been a BIG RED FLAG, but they are young college students and really didn’t know better.
Luckily his ATM withdrawal limit is $ 500, so that was the most he could give Mrs. Lau in cash and he wrote her a check for the balance. His roommates were all going to do the same. He gave her the money at 3:00 yesterday and headed to work. His roommates were suppose to follow through and do the same. Low and behold at 3:45 they learned of this women’s reputation for being a cheat and slumlord. A roommate tried to get the $ 500 returned and she refused. These kids signed nothing. There is no lease, but she will not return the money.
My son called her again this morning asking to get his money back. She told him to take her to court she would NOT be returning his money and then hung up on him.
My advise to him was to immediately file a police report for theft. He also went to the court house to file a complaint to take her to court. $ 500 is a lot of money to a college student who works to support himself. My fingers are crossed that it gets worked out for them.
Lesson learned not all people are honest and reputable. Always do your research when dealing with a stranger. Shame Shame Mrs. Lau.
Mad, Sad mama bear
Found this information on the city and county of San Francisco rent board

Security Deposits
Applicable Law: Security deposits are governed by state law, not the Rent Ordinance. Under Section 1950.5 of the California Civil Code, a landlord may generally collect up to the equivalent of two months rent for deposits on unfurnished apartments and up to three months rent for deposits on furnished apartments. State law requires the landlord to refund deposits within 21 days of the tenant vacating the unit.
What Constitutes a Security Deposit: Before a tenant moves in, a landlord may ask for some type of deposit. No matter what it is called-​a key deposit, a pet deposit, a cleaning fee, a damage deposit, a move-​in fee, or last month’s rent-​the law treats this initial payment as a security deposit subject to Section 1950.5 of the Civil Code. There is no such thing as a «non-​refundable» security deposit-​all money paid in addition to the first month’s rent is refundable.

These people are total scumbags! Stay away! Profiled MULTIPLE times by local news sources as the WORST slumlords in SF, these jokers scammed us a year ago and still make my blood boil. Notice how they don’t use their business name anymore, a tiny indication of their wide scale terrible management. They kept our deposit even though our apartment was left in ideal condition and Mrs. Lau is an absolute nightmare. I honestly can not believe these CRIMINALS are allowed to continue praying on SF citizens, they should have their licenses revoked. Although knowing them, they probably don’t even have a license. Shame on these crooks, SHAME SHAME SHAME!

She tried to sell a restaurant with bad equipment, Bad electrical (not up to code), bad Plumbing (also not up to code) and Double to rate for sq foot in the area. Notoriously bad land lord that will never repair a thing. tries to sell a place as turn Key and is no where near that!!! DO NOT FALL FOR MS. LAU!!! RUN away is the best thing you can do!

There office looked like some sort of illegal operation, I wasn’t sure if this was a methadone clinic, crack house, squatters home, or real estate agency. I was 10 minutes early with my girlfriend & the place was empty nobody was inside it was a ghost town and me and my girlfriend waited kind of with a WTF look on our faces. Finally after calling the cell # listed outside of the office someone came to the door. Mr LAU came limping outside to greet us. He say «5 minute ms lau be right with you.»
Then 10 minutes later both Mr an Mrs Lau exited along with there dog (dinner perhaps?) Mrs. Lau virtually yapped at her husband in Mandarin (I thought it was the dog) and refused to acknowledge either me, or my girlfriend (And she’s hot, wtf?)! She said «He will take you» and went on with another customer looking at some run down retail-​space probably another dollar store. We were taken around the corner of the same graffiti ridden, trashed up, asbestos infested, street corner IN THE SAME BUILDING as the «Realty Space.» He rang the doorbell over and over until whom I would imagine to be the current tennant with a WTF Annoyed look on his face like they bring people to look at the apartment every hour. We walked in and it smelled like water damage and roaches, I actually FELT bad for the guy who had to live there. He looked miserable and upset not to mention angry with the Lau’s.
There was definitely no ventilation or air in this apartment, the whole thing was tiled like a Pilipino slum. I was like «is this a street market? or an apartment?» After viewing the apartment we quickly ran away as Mr. Lau stayed behind to argue with the current tenant.
This review is not exaggerated just the truth to help prevent others from having to waste there time with these people. Mr & Mrs. Lau are SCAMS
They are not real estate agents, There is no «Good Earth» here.
Dear Mr. & Mrs Lau,
You missed out on a great potential tenant $$$$. Not that we would have wanted to live in that slum you call an apartment.
Cheers!
Harrison

RUN!!!
RUN FOR THE HILLS!!!
RUN TO THE MISSION, RUN TO DALY CITY, ANYWHERE BUT HERE!!!
BEWARE MR & MRS LAU !
Don’t even go anywhere near the realty building, let alone do «business» with these people. What a shame, should try contacting the better business bureau first.
Don’t give them a penny!

I’m glad we didn’t fall for her scam!
Ms.Lau is shady! Everything that has been stated in this forum is 100% true as far as I’m concerned. She tried justifying a ridiculous amount of money for a deposit in a rundown building. She told us that she spent $ 40,000 on the kitchen and needed to pay the bills with it! She wanted our deposit to pay for her kitchen? She also called the property a 2BR when it was actually a kitchen, living room, and a bedroom. No Second bedroom at all! DO NOT RENT FROM THESE PEOPLE! STEER CLEAR OF MS. LAU! YOU’VE BEEN WARNED!

I would give her zero stars if I could. She is awful. Be sure to document EVERYTHING and be prepared to go to court our your deposit will be gone

SOPHIE LAU IS A CROOK!!! If I can give them a 0 star review, I would. All the other reviews speak for themselves. Here is my situation;
She was renting out an apartment, my roommate and I agreed to meet her and view the apartment. THE APARTMENT WAS TRASH. The sinks and toilets were taken out… the place was unlivable. She said that she would he doing a total renovation and would hold the apartment (for a deposit). She promised that we would give the deposit back if 1) the renovation was not up to our satisfaction 2) it was not done in a timely manner.
SHE LIED. She tried to keep the whole deposit after it was not completed in time and we needed to take another apartment in a pinch. NEVER GIVE HER BUSINESS… NEVER GIVE HER MONEY!!! STAY AWAY… PLEASE.

I rented from them a little while back. All of these reviews are right on. I could add even more disgusting things this lady has done, but by now you should get the point.

We rented from Sophie Lau from 1998 – 2002. It was a 3-​bedroom hovel on Greenwich at Columbus. Highlights:
Our «kitchen» was so small the refrigerator would only fit in the living room closet.
One January day, our gas heater exploded and shot a fireball out the bottom, setting the carpet ablaze. It took eleven days of calls and letters, and finally an in-​person visit, to get them to address the problem. Their solution: Mr. Lau used a Dirt Devil on the inside of the heater for 30 seconds, then left. No heat. January.
We gave over 30 days’ notice when we left. Mrs. Lau tried to keep half our deposit for nonsense reasons. We sued and won in small claims court.
She called to tell me she wasn’t going to pay, that she could make it really hard for us to collect the money, that I should just accept a check for a substantially smaller amount. I told her to fuck off. She appealed.
She lost the appeal too, and paid us after the decision. In the 10 years leading up to 2002, she had been sued over fifty times under various DBAs. The court clerk recognized her at first glance.
For good measure, KRON did a consumer advocacy segment a year later, profiling Sophie and Good Earth as «the worst landlord in San Francisco.» They caught her coming out of (where else) the courthouse. Three guys — reporter, cameraman, boom mike operator — chased her up the street to her SUV. I slept the sleep of the vindicated that night… a deep, restful sleep.
It’s not the dotcom era anymore. You can find another place to live, I promise. This lady is a crook and it has made her very wealthy. Don’t get screwed by these people — and trust me, they will try.

My first San Francisco apartment was owned and managed by these horrible slumlords. The WORST rental experience I ever had. Of course, this was back in ²⁰⁰⁰⁄₂₀₀₁ when the market was such that people could get away with charging crazy amounts of money for run-​down crapholes in Lower Nob Hill.
I am not exaggerating about the ridiculousness of these folks. My roommate called to notify them that there was water flooding into his bedroom and mold problems, and they couldn’t bother to send someone over that day. It was not just a leak, it was freaking flooding! And the building had rats periodically making it their home!
We had to move out for our health, safety, and sanity. But this was considered «breaking our lease» even though I cannot justify how they were living up to their end of the bargain. So we lost our deposit to these incompetent, evil, profiteering people.