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49-53 John St

Nob Hill, SF 94133 0180025 4 units · 3 fl · 1914

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 Nob Hill
At or below average
avg 2.4
0
FewerMore

This building has 0 novs (7y), at or below the Nob Hill average of 2.4.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 49-53 John 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 1914
2 or more units
4 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
Units4
Floors3
Year built1914
Total area3,924 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot0180025
Ownership

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

Owner name
Chen Yu Hua
Mailing address
739 Washington St Ste 300 San Francisco CA 94108
Last sale
121713

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.

53 John St, San Francisco, CA 94133
49 John St, San Francisco, CA 94133
51 John St, San Francisco, CA 94133
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The three-story multi-family residential building at 49-53 John Street in Nob Hill, owned by Chen Yu Hua, was constructed in 1914 and contains 4 units. The property has undergone several significant improvements over the years, including a top floor kitchen and bathroom remodel with window replacements in 2001 (completed at a cost of $17,000) and an underground service conversion completed in 2002. The building has been subject to three routine safety inspections by Housing Inspection Services, with the most recent occurring in 2015.

In 2005, multiple safety violations were identified during a routine inspection, including issues with egress obstructions, handrails, security requirements, fire safety equipment, and rear stairs, though these violations were all abated by August 12, 2005. Similar violations related to fire safety and egress obstructions were previously noted in 2000 and resolved by September 6, 2000. A single 311 call was recorded in 2009 regarding a leaning no-parking sign that was subsequently repaired. Most recently, in 2017, there was a tenant buyout at the property involving three tenants and a payout of $20,000 for the unit at 51 John Street. While the building has experienced various safety-related issues in the past, records indicate that these violations were addressed promptly, and there have been no documented violations or complaints in the past eight years.

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

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Risk rating

How 49-53 John 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
69th percentile

Out of 1125 buildings in this neighborhood, 349 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
74%
No DBI
violation
26%
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.

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.

Neighborhood (ZIP code)

The ZIP code captures local housing market and enforcement patterns that affect all buildings in the area.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 45.3%
Moderate concern 21.8%
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.
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The story over time

49-53 John St event timeline

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

2025
Fire Incident Dec 03 Serious
700 False alarm or false call, other
Injuries: 0 · Fatalities: 0

See all 1 events

Full history back to 2025 — violations, complaints, permits, buyouts, and fire incidents.

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Every record we have

Full data for 49-53 John 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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