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2344 Van Ness Ave

Russian Hill, SF 94109 0550020A 9 units · 2 fl · 1921

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 Russian Hill
At or below average
avg 1.9
0
FewerMore

This building has 0 novs (7y), at or below the Russian Hill average of 1.9.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 2344 Van Ness 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 1921
2 or more units
9 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
RC3
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
Floors2
Year built1921
Total area6,401 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot0550020A
Ownership

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

Owner name
Hess James M & Linda T
Mailing address
2099 Market St San Francisco CA 94114
Last sale
052021

Landlord portfolio

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

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Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

2344 Van Ness Avenue is a 2-story, 9-unit multi-family residential building located in Russian Hill, constructed in 1921 and currently owned by James M & Linda T Hess. The property has undergone numerous significant improvements over the past decade, with the most recent being two fire safety violations issued in July 2024 regarding alarm system maintenance, though these were abated. The building successfully completed its mandatory Soft Story seismic retrofit program, receiving a CFC issuance, and has shown consistent investment in unit upgrades and maintenance. Recent renovations include window replacements in 2021, a comprehensive kitchen and bathroom remodeling in Unit 5 in 2021 (costing $38,000), and various electrical, plumbing, and heating system updates across multiple units. Notable historical improvements include a 2016-2018 bathroom remodels in Units 1 and 2, a 2018 bedroom addition on the first floor, and the establishment of modern safety systems including Ufer grounding installation and new smoke detectors.

The building's maintenance record shows regular attention to safety systems, though there have been several alarm system-related incidents and violations in recent years (2016, 2021, and 2024) that required correction. The property has experienced multiple fire safety system activations, including CO detector and smoke detector activations, though none resulted in civilian injuries. Recent parking enforcement records from 2019-2022 indicate a recurring issue with vehicles blocking driveways, though this appears to be an external, neighborhood-related concern rather than an internal building issue. The property has also undergone significant infrastructure improvements, including re-roofing in 2015, electrical system upgrades, and the replacement of various plumbing fixtures and systems throughout the building, demonstrating ongoing commitment to maintaining and improving the property's condition and safety systems.

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

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Risk rating

How 2344 Van Ness 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
14th percentile

Out of 1133 buildings in this neighborhood, 974 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.

Number of units

The number of units affects how the model reads complaint and violation totals — more units means more potential sources.

Building size

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

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 19.4%
Moderate concern 45.0%
Severe concern 35.6%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

2344 Van Ness Ave apartment reviews

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The story over time

2344 Van Ness Ave event timeline

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

2025
Fire Complaint Jun 17
Sprinkler/Standpipe Systems
Violation Issued

See all 9 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 2344 Van Ness 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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