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477-479 Oak St

Hayes Valley, SF 94102 0840015 2 units · 2 fl · 1900

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 Hayes Valley
At or below average
avg 2.3
0
FewerMore

This building has 0 novs (7y), at or below the Hayes Valley average of 2.3.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 477-479 Oak 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 1900
2 or more units
2 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
Units2
Floors2
Year built1900
Total area3,120 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot0840015
Ownership

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

Owner name
John E Wai 1981 Lvg Tr
Mailing address
Wai John E Trustee 1333 Jones St Unit 1101 San Francisco CA 94109
Last sale
091619

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.

477 Oak St, San Francisco, CA 94102
479 Oak St, San Francisco, CA 94102
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The property at 477-479 Oak Street, a 2-unit residential building in Hayes Valley built in 1900, is currently under significant renovation and experiencing multiple concerning issues. The building underwent substantial permitted work in 2019-2020, including interior reconfigurations, new fire safety installations, electrical rewiring, and plumbing upgrades totaling approximately $287,000. However, recent complaints from 2022-2023 have raised serious concerns about security and safety, with multiple reports of an abandoned construction site, a broken garage door, and unauthorized access potential. Additionally, there were numerous complaints during the 2020 renovation period regarding excessive dust, construction noise, and property damage to neighboring buildings, as well as concerns about work continuing during the COVID-19 shelter-in-place order. The property has also been the subject of multiple parking enforcement citations for driveway blocking (2023-2024), and there are ongoing issues with debris and garbage management, as evidenced by recent 311 calls for cleaning and sidewalk blockage concerns.

The building's renovation history shows substantial investment in updating safety systems and living spaces, including a new fire sprinkler system ($21,400), extensive interior reconfigurations, and full electrical rewiring with new service. Planning records indicate window rehabilitation work and various structural improvements, including foundation work and shear wall installation. However, the property has faced multiple regulatory challenges, with building complaints and violations indicating potential problems with construction management, tenant safety, and property security. The most recent construction-related issues focus on concerns about site security, with active complaints as of 2022-2023 regarding an apparently abandoned construction site and security concerns about unauthorized access through a broken garage door, which neighbors fear could pose a fire risk.

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

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Risk rating

How 477-479 Oak 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
39th percentile

Out of 1027 buildings in this neighborhood, 626 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
61%
No DBI
violation
39%
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.

DBI tenant complaints (past 7 years)

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

Neighborhood (ZIP code)

The ZIP code captures local housing market and enforcement patterns that affect all buildings in the area.

Building age

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

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 62.0%
Moderate concern 29.2%
Severe concern 8.7%
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

477-479 Oak St event timeline

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

2026
311 Request Apr 29
Homelessness and supportive housing
housing homeless request for service
311 RequestApr 04
Garbage and debris

See all 25 events

Full history back to 2019 — violations, complaints, permits, buyouts, and fire incidents.

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Every record we have

Full data for 477-479 Oak 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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