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37-41 John St

Nob Hill, SF 94133 0180027 7 units · 3 fl · 1909

This building has significantly more problems than most nearby buildings. 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 Nob Hill
Above average
avg 2.4
5
FewerMore

This building has 5 novs (7y), above the Nob Hill average of 2.4.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 37-41 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 1909
2 or more units
7 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
Units7
Floors3
Year built1909
Total area3,914 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusHome Owners
Blocklot0180027
Ownership

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

Owner name
Chen Lao Survivors Tr
Mailing address
Lao Chen Ttee 41 John St San Francisco CA 94133
Last sale
110806

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.

37 A John St, San Francisco, CA 94133
39 John St, San Francisco, CA 94133
41 John St, San Francisco, CA 94133
37 John St, San Francisco, CA 94133
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The 7-unit, 3-story multi-family residential building at 37-41 John Street in Nob Hill, owned by Chen Lao Survivors Tr, has undergone several significant renovations and faced multiple maintenance challenges since its construction in 1909. Most recently, in November 2024, water damage repairs were initiated in units 37 and 37B, involving inspection and replacement of approximately 100 square feet of wall finish in each unit. The building successfully completed its Mandatory Soft Story Retrofit Program requirements in 2017, with associated work valued at $80,000, although there was a period of non-compliance noted in 2020 that was eventually resolved.

The property has experienced various maintenance issues over the years, including multiple building violations and complaints from 2006 through 2023 that were all abated by December 2023. These included lead abatement requirements, weather protection, security improvements (such as deadlatch locks), interior surface repairs (ceilings, walls, and floors), sanitation issues (including a cockroach infestation), and plumbing concerns (tub/shower repairs). Historical records show infrastructure improvements such as reroofing work in 2007 and rear stair repairs in 2000. The building has gone through routine housing inspections in 1999, 2007, and 2011, which typically addressed common area conditions. Recent 311 calls from 2019 through 2024 primarily relate to external and neighborhood issues such as street cleaning, park patrols, and parking violations, rather than direct building maintenance concerns.

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

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Risk rating

How 37-41 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
18th percentile

Out of 1125 buildings in this neighborhood, 922 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
23%
No DBI
violation
77%
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.

DBI tenant complaints (past 7 years)

Formal complaints tenants filed with DBI about this building over 7 years.

Director's hearing rate, owner's portfolio

Per-building rate of director's hearings across the owner's portfolio.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 16.9%
Moderate concern 60.1%
Severe concern 23.0%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

37-41 John St apartment reviews

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The story over time

37-41 John St event timeline

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

2026
311 Request Feb 05
Structural maintenance
recreation equipment

See all 12 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 37-41 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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