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1555-1559 California St

Downtown, SF 94109 0645017 4 units · 3 fl · 1909

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 Downtown
At or below average
avg 6.9
0
FewerMore

This building has 0 novs (7y), at or below the Downtown average of 6.9.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 1555-1559 California 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
4 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
POLK
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 built1909
Total area4,338 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot0645017
Ownership

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

Owner name
Donna Hung Ying Ho Trust
Mailing address
Ho Donna Hung Ying Trustee 2650 Moraga St San Francisco CA 94122
Last sale
060508

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.

1557 California St, San Francisco, CA 94109
1559 California St, San Francisco, CA 94109
1555 California St, San Francisco, CA 94109
1559 A California St, San Francisco, CA 94109
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The three-story, multi-family residential building at 1555-1559 California Street, constructed in 1909, contains 4 units and is owned by the Donna Hung Ying Ho Trust. The property has undergone several significant improvements over the past two decades, with the most recent being accessibility upgrades completed in 2022, including door threshold replacement, ADA push button installation, and entry landing adjustments costing $5,000. In 2010, the building addressed multiple housing code violations, including seismic bracing of hot water heaters, stair repairs, interior painting, and installation of proper unit identification numbers, all of which were resolved by August 2010. Earlier maintenance work includes stair repairs in the rear yard (2010), vinyl siding installation (2006), and reroofing (2001).

More recent history shows a period of vacancy observed in early 2023, with the property currently transitioning into a new business use as a Permanent Makeup/Cosmetic Tattoo establishment. The building has experienced some recurring issues in the surrounding area, with multiple reports of garbage, debris, and public health concerns (including human waste) recorded between December 2024 and January 2025. Notably, a fire safety complaint regarding overcrowding was filed and resolved in September 2014. The property has maintained compliance with building codes since the 2010 violations were addressed, and recent improvements have focused on accessibility and building maintenance.

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

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Risk rating

How 1555-1559 California 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
83th percentile

Out of 448 buildings in this neighborhood, 76 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
53%
No DBI
violation
47%
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.

Property class: apartment building

Apartment building — this property classification influences expected violation rates.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 30.9%
Moderate concern 42.4%
Severe concern 26.8%
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

1555-1559 California St event timeline

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

2026
Planning Record Jan 21
DPH Referral - Recommend approval of Limited Restaurant, principally permitted within the Polk St NCD per P.C. Sec. 723.
Closed - Approved

See all 14 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 1555-1559 California 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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