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50-54 Potomac St

Hayes Valley, SF 94117 0866011 3 units · 3 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
Above average
avg 2.3
4
FewerMore

This building has 4 novs (7y), above the Hayes Valley average of 2.3.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 50-54 Potomac 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
3 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
RH2
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
Units3
Floors3
Year built1900
Total area4,380 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot0866011
Ownership

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

Owner name
Smithton Zoya L
Mailing address
2800 Van Ness Ave San Francisco CA 94109
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.

54 Potomac St, San Francisco, CA 94117
50 Potomac St, San Francisco, CA 94117
52 Potomac St, San Francisco, CA 94117
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The three-unit residential building at 50-54 Potomac Street in Hayes Valley, owned by Zoya L. Smithton, was constructed in 1900 and has undergone several significant maintenance and repair projects over the years. Most notably, in 2016, the property addressed multiple building code violations, including work on the front stairs to correct dry rot ($10,000), installation of fire extinguishers ($1,500), and electrical improvements including outlet installations and flooring work ($1,400). A notable compliance issue from 2008 required a comprehensive response involving multiple repairs, including security upgrades, installation of proper fire safety equipment, and addressing interior surfaces. The building has a history of structural maintenance needs, particularly concerning stairway repairs, with similar issues documented in both 1999 and 2016. Earlier records from the 1990s show serious concerns including raw sewage issues and significant deterioration of back stairs, though these have been resolved.

More recent history (2024) indicates ongoing concerns with street parking issues near the building, with multiple reports of sidewalk parking violations, though enforcement responses have generally found these claims difficult to validate. A 54 Potomac Street address listing in planning records indicates a former child care center operation from the apartment, which is now closed with no violation. The building's electrical infrastructure received upgrades in 2003 with a PG&E conversion from overhead to underground service. While the property has experienced periodic maintenance challenges over the years, recent records show that most significant violations have been addressed, with particular attention paid to fire safety and structural integrity. The most recent building complaints and violations were all successfully abated by September 2016, though one violation related to lead paint remediation was issued in 2016 that required special handling procedures.

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

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Risk rating

How 50-54 Potomac 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
50th percentile

Out of 1027 buildings in this neighborhood, 514 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
66%
No DBI
violation
34%
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.

Neighborhood location

Precise location is a proxy for neighborhood-level risk — some SF blocks have systematically higher DBI activity.

Building age

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

Estimated permit spend (past 7 years)

Dollar value of permits pulled at this address — large recent spend can signal deferred-maintenance catch-up.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 51.1%
Moderate concern 20.2%
Severe concern 28.7%
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

50-54 Potomac St event timeline

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

2023
311 Request Nov 18
Complaint
animal care control - complaint
311 RequestApr 11
Other illegal parking

See all 2 events

Full history back to 2023 — violations, complaints, permits, buyouts, and fire incidents.

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Every record we have

Full data for 50-54 Potomac 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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