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36-38 Spofford St

Financial District North, SF 94108 0210024 9 units · 3 fl · 1907

This building has a higher-than-average number of open problems nearby. 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 Financial District North
Above average
avg 3.2
7
FewerMore

This building has 7 novs (7y), above the Financial District North average of 3.2.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 36-38 Spofford 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 1907
2 or more units
9 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
CRNC
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
Units9
Floors3
Year built1907
Total area2,378 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot0210024
Ownership

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

Owner name
Cal Chinese Free Mason Socy
Mailing address
36 Spofford St Frnt San Francisco CA 94108
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.

36 Spofford St, San Francisco, CA 94108
38 Spofford St, San Francisco, CA 94108
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The 3-story, 9-unit multi-family residential building at 36-38 Spofford Street, owned by the Cal Chinese Free Mason Society, has a significant history of safety compliance issues and maintenance work since its construction in 1907. The property underwent a seismic upgrade in 1994 with steel frame and wall anchors installation, and more recent improvements include a reroofing project in 2010 and a 2003 electrical upgrade converting to a 200-amp underground service. However, the most concerning aspect of the building's history centers around fire safety issues, particularly in 2016 when multiple violations were documented, including problems with the fire alarm system, emergency lighting, fire extinguisher maintenance, exit/fire escape conditions, and signage. These violations were either referred to hearing or marked as "correct - no permit". More recent fire safety concerns were noted in October 2022, regarding fire extinguishers, though this appears to have been resolved by February 2023.

The building has experienced ongoing infrastructure challenges, particularly in recent months, with multiple reports of garbage and debris issues during late 2024 through early 2025. A sewage backup incident was reported and resolved in September 2024. While some of these issues may be exterior to the building itself, they impact the overall maintenance environment of the property. Historical maintenance records indicate attention to basic infrastructure needs, such as a 1988 fire escape ladder replacement and various general upkeep. The building's fire safety systems have required regular attention over the years, as evidenced by multiple fire complaints and violations, particularly focusing on extinguishers and alarm systems. The most recent infrastructure work appears to be focused on modernization efforts, including the electrical system upgrade and roofing improvements, though these are now over a decade old.

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

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Risk rating

How 36-38 Spofford 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
36th percentile

Out of 145 buildings in this neighborhood, 93 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
21%
No DBI
violation
79%
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.

Building age

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

Building permits, owner's portfolio

Permits pulled across all of this owner's buildings over 7 years.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 23.2%
Moderate concern 53.0%
Severe concern 23.9%
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

36-38 Spofford St event timeline

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

2026
311 Request Jun 16
Garbage and debris
other bagged boxed contained garbage
311 RequestJun 16
Garbage and debris

See all 15 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 36-38 Spofford 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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