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50-52 Central Ave

Buena Vista Park/Ashbury Heights, SF 94117 1242006 3 units · 3 fl · 1904

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 Buena Vista Park/Ashbury Heights
At or below average
avg 1.6
0
FewerMore

This building has 0 novs (7y), at or below the Buena Vista Park/Ashbury Heights average of 1.6.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 50-52 Central 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 1904
2 or more units
3 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
Units3
Floors3
Year built1904
Total area3,726 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot1242006
Ownership

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

Owner name
Podesta Edward L 1998 Trust
Mailing address
West Coast Property Mgmt 714 Van Ness Ave San Francisco CA 94102
Last sale
030199

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.

50 Central Ave, San Francisco, CA 94117
1118 Waller St, San Francisco, CA 94117
52 Central Ave, San Francisco, CA 94117
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The three-unit, three-story multi-family residential building at 50-52 Central Avenue in the Buena Vista Park neighborhood, owned by the Podesta Edward L 1998 Trust, was constructed in 1904 and has undergone several significant maintenance and improvement projects over the past few years. Most notably, the building received a complete reroofing in 2019 ($21,565), and between 2017-2018, there were substantial HVAC system updates including the relocation and replacement of multiple gas furnaces, installation of dedicated electrical circuits for the furnaces, and associated plumbing work totaling approximately $30,000. The building has experienced recurring fire alarm system issues over the years, with multiple violations and false alarms documented between 2006 and 2019, primarily related to system malfunctions and unintentional activations, though all were marked as "Condition Corrected" or "Abated."

In recent months, there have been several maintenance and cleanliness issues reported in the vicinity of the property, including graffiti on the building and surrounding area, plumbing concerns, and various garbage/debris incidents, with multiple 311 calls registered between November 2024 and January 2025. However, these were primarily related to exterior conditions rather than interior building systems. The most recent building inspection on record was conducted in 2003, and while there have been multiple street space permits issued from 2008 to 2019, these were generally for temporary use of public space. The building's systems appear to have received regular attention, with the most significant recent work focused on HVAC and fire safety systems, though the ongoing pattern of fire alarm activations and violations suggests historical challenges with the building's safety systems have been persistent over time.

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

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Risk rating

How 50-52 Central 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
59th percentile

Out of 351 buildings in this neighborhood, 144 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
82%
No DBI
violation
18%
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.

Building age

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

Construction spend, owner's portfolio

Estimated permit value across all of this owner's buildings.

Neighborhood location

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

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 74.2%
Moderate concern 14.2%
Severe concern 11.6%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

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The story over time

50-52 Central Ave event timeline

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

2026
311 Request Jun 18
Garbage and debris
other bagged boxed contained garbage
311 RequestMay 22
Other illegal parking

See all 5 events

Full history back to 2026 — violations, complaints, permits, buyouts, and fire incidents.

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Every record we have

Full data for 50-52 Central Ave apartments

13 SF public datasets for this parcel — permits, violations, complaints, fire records, 311 calls, planning records, and buyouts.

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