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1959 Oak St

Haight Ashbury, SF 94117 1226026 6 units · 3 fl · 1926

This building has more problems than most buildings in this neighborhood. Few open issues; problems get fixed quickly. A reasonable bet for a smooth tenancy.

NOVs (7y) vs. neighborhood
Compared to a typical building in Haight Ashbury
At or below average
avg 1.8
0
FewerMore

This building has 0 novs (7y), at or below the Haight Ashbury average of 1.8.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 1959 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 1926
2 or more units
6 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
RM2
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
Units6
Floors3
Year built1926
Total area6,225 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot1226026
Ownership

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

Owner name
William Best Survivor'S Tru
Mailing address
William Best, Trustee 335 Quintara St San Francisco CA 94116
Last sale
051399

Landlord portfolio

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

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Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The 6-unit, 3-story multi-family residential building at 1959 Oak Street in the Haight Ashbury neighborhood, owned by the William Best Survivor's Trust and constructed in 1926, has undergone several significant updates and faced various maintenance challenges over the years. Most notably, the building completed a mandatory upgrade to its fire alarm system in 2024 (cost: $21,858) to comply with current fire code requirements, including the installation of low-frequency sounders in sleeping areas and updating existing devices to be compatible with the new panel. The building successfully completed a soft-story retrofit in 2016 (cost: $60,000), achieving compliance with San Francisco Building Code Chapter 34B requirements. Other major improvements include the installation of vinyl siding over the back of the building in 2016, conversion from overhead to underground electrical service in 2004, and various structural repairs including sill plate replacement and stair repairs in the late 1990s.

The building has experienced several maintenance and habitability issues, particularly during a cluster of complaints in 2001-2002, when issues such as inadequate heat, electrical problems, mold, and unsafe back stairs were documented, though these were subsequently addressed and abated. More recent tenant complaints have included routine inspections in 2023, and issues with the doorbell system (2015), window leaks (2008), and insulation problems (2008). The building's exterior and surrounding area have been subject to various municipal services calls in 2024, primarily relating to street cleaning and maintenance, including reports of garbage and debris removal, and a currently open issue regarding a damaged tree. The property's fire safety systems were tested in 2024 when an alarm was triggered due to malfunction, though no injuries were reported.

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

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Risk rating

How 1959 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
28th percentile

Out of 581 buildings in this neighborhood, 418 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
58%
No DBI
violation
42%
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.

DBI tenant complaints (past 7 years)

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

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 55.0%
Moderate concern 33.6%
Severe concern 11.4%
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

1959 Oak St event timeline

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

2025
311 Request Apr 18
Garbage and debris
furniture

See all 4 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 1959 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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