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1634-1638 Grant Ave

Telegraph Hill, SF 94133 0087008 3 units · 3 fl · 1913

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 Telegraph Hill
At or below average
avg 1.2
0
FewerMore

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

Rent & eviction protection

Is 1634-1638 Grant 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 1913
2 or more units
3 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
RH3
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
Floors3
Year built1913
Total area2,808 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot0087008
Ownership

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

Owner name
Wing Chow Tr
Mailing address
Chow Lisa Lai Succ-trustee 841 Hawthorne Way Millbrae CA 94030
Last sale
000000

Landlord portfolio

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

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Multiple entrances & addresses

Included addresses

All street addresses sharing this blocklot that are covered by this report.

1634 Grant Ave, San Francisco, CA 94133
1638 Grant Ave, San Francisco, CA 94133
1636 Grant Ave, San Francisco, CA 94133
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

This three-unit multi-family residential building, located at 1634-1638 Grant Ave in Telegraph Hill, was constructed in 1913 and is owned by Wing Chow Tr. The property has undergone several significant renovations in recent years, most notably a comprehensive bathroom and kitchen remodeling project completed in March 2023 at a cost of $67,800, which included electrical work for new lighting, receptacles, and appliances, as well as plumbing updates. Prior improvements include electrical and plumbing upgrades in 2015 involving kitchen and bathroom renovations, and back staircase repairs in 2017, addressing approximately 10-15 treads. The building had several addressed violations in 2005 related to safety requirements including wood stairs repairs, fire extinguisher provision, and smoke detector installation, all of which were abated by November 2005.

Recent tenancy changes include two buyouts: one for $18,100 in November 2021 and another for $68,000 in October 2022, affecting one and two tenants respectively. The property has a history of maintenance and inspection follow-ups, including routine inspections in 2001, 2005, and 2010, with documented issues of peeling paint in 2006. While there was one recorded cooking-related fire incident with no civilian injuries, there have been no recent fire safety violations. The surrounding area has experienced periodic maintenance issues as evidenced by multiple 311 calls between 2020 and 2024, primarily related to street cleaning and sidewalk maintenance, though these external matters do not directly impact the building's condition. The most recent building improvements and consistent maintenance record, particularly the significant 2023 renovations, suggest active property management and ongoing investment in maintaining the building's infrastructure and systems.

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

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Risk rating

How 1634-1638 Grant 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
81th percentile

Out of 684 buildings in this neighborhood, 130 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
91%
No DBI
violation
9%
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.

Building age

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

Owner's portfolio size

Number of SF parcels this owner is registered on — larger portfolios have distinct risk patterns.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 74.5%
Moderate concern 16.1%
Severe concern 9.4%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

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The story over time

1634-1638 Grant Ave event timeline

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

2023
311 Request Sep 04
Other illegal parking
GOLD - MERCEDES - 4NKD667
311 RequestMar 25
Other illegal parking

See all 7 events

Full history back to 2022 — violations, complaints, permits, buyouts, and fire incidents.

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Every record we have

Full data for 1634-1638 Grant Ave 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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