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839 Jones St

Downtown, SF 94109 0281001A 17 units · 4 fl · 1916

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 Downtown
At or below average
avg 6.9
5
FewerMore

This building has 5 novs (7y), at or below the Downtown average of 6.9.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 839 Jones 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 1916
2 or more units
17 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
RC4
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
Units17
Floors4
Year built1916
Total area7,364 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot0281001A
Ownership

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

Owner name
Szeto Whalun & Ava
Mailing address
35 Trumbull Ct Novato CA 94947
Last sale
090314

Landlord portfolio

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

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Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The four-story, 17-unit apartment building at 839 Jones Street, owned by Szeto Whalun & Ava and constructed in 1916, has experienced several significant maintenance and safety issues over its history, with particular concerns in recent years. Most notably, the building is currently undergoing a fire alarm system upgrade, as evidenced by a filed permit in January 2025, and has faced recurring issues with mold, ventilation, and general maintenance. A series of complaints in late 2021 documented problems including mold in bathrooms, drafty windows, slow hot water heating, and interior surface issues, while more recent city service calls have been concentrated on street cleaning and sanitation matters around the building. The property has received several fire safety citations, including blocked exits (2017), sprinkler system issues (2015), and alarm system concerns (2011), though these were generally promptly addressed.

Historical records show the building underwent significant seismic upgrades in 1999 ($85,000 improvement), completed reroofing in 1998, and parapet reinforcement in 1989. Various maintenance violations were recorded between 2001 and 2004, including problems with elevator functionality, skylight leaks affecting the fifth floor hallway, and fire escape maintenance needs. The building's management has faced scrutiny regarding potential illegal units, with inspections in 2010/2011 investigating ground floor spaces reportedly lacking proper fire escape access. More recently, between 2024-2025, there have been multiple reports of sidewalk sanitation issues near the property, though these are more related to street-level conditions than the building itself. Regular zoning verification letters have been issued for the property, indicating compliance with local regulations though their specific content is not detailed in the provided record.

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

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Risk rating

How 839 Jones 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
70th percentile

Out of 448 buildings in this neighborhood, 134 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
27%
No DBI
violation
73%
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.

Building size

Total floor area — a proxy for building scale and the number of systems (plumbing, electrical, HVAC) that can fail.

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.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 9.4%
Moderate concern 78.6%
Severe concern 11.9%
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

839 Jones St event timeline

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

2026
311 Request Jun 01
Garbage and debris
furniture
Fire ComplaintMar 10
Sprinkler/Standpipe Systems

See all 16 events

Full history back to 2021 — violations, complaints, permits, buyouts, and fire incidents.

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Every record we have

Full data for 839 Jones St apartments

13 SF public datasets for this parcel — permits, violations, complaints, fire records, 311 calls, planning records, and buyouts.

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