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85-87 Central Ave

Buena Vista Park/Ashbury Heights, SF 94117 1243003 2 units · 2 fl · 1903

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 85-87 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 1903
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 built1903
Total area3,350 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot1243003
Ownership

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

Owner name
Mclean Ian & Jessica
Mailing address
85-87 Central Ave San Francisco CA 94117
Last sale
101117

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.

87 Central Ave, San Francisco, CA 94117
85 Central Ave, San Francisco, CA 94117
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The property at 85-87 Central Avenue is a two-story, multi-family residential building (duplex) constructed in 1903 in the Buena Vista Park neighborhood, currently owned by Ian and Jessica Mclean. The building has undergone several significant renovations over the years, with the most recent improvements focusing on sustainability, including three solar PV installations planned for late 2024 with 13 modules each (5.265 kW systems) and battery storage. Major structural and utility upgrades were completed in 2021 with the installation of a radiant heating system and new boiler, while significant remodeling work occurred in 2010 including kitchen renovations, bathroom conversions, and electrical upgrades throughout both units. The garage area received substantial attention in 2021, with interior modifications to improve parking space dimensions and structural support.

The building has a documented history of maintenance issues and code violations, most notably in 2004 when multiple housing code violations were recorded, including problems with heating, electrical systems, interior surfaces, and plumbing. These violations appear to have been resolved by September 2004. More recent concerns include recurring sewer issues, with sewage backup incidents reported in October 2023 and December 2024, suggesting ongoing plumbing challenges. Recent permits and work demonstrate the current owner's commitment to upgrading the property, including foundation improvements, electrical system upgrades (such as a 200A service change in 2006), and the installation of modern amenities. The property has also experienced various infrastructure-related incidents in recent years, including tree maintenance requests (2025), graffiti issues (2024), and flooding concerns (2023), though these appear to be external to the building structure.

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

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Risk rating

How 85-87 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
97th percentile

Out of 351 buildings in this neighborhood, 11 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
93%
No DBI
violation
7%
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 permits, owner's portfolio

Permits pulled across all of this owner's buildings over 7 years.

Building age

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

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 88.7%
Moderate concern 8.3%
Severe concern 3.0%
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

85-87 Central Ave event timeline

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

2026
Building Permit Jan 21
Solar permit: installing 13 solar pv modules, 405 watts per module, total no. of rating 5.265 kw. mounted: roof, ballasted: n | installation of (13) solar panels on existing residential roof. 5.265kw
Issued
Building PermitJan 21
Solar permit: installing 13 solar pv modules, 405 watts per module, total no. of rating 5.265 kw. mounted: roof, ballasted: n, including 1 energy storage unit, of 240 vac, with 13.6 kwh each in capacity, ess units will not be closer than 3 feet | installation of (13)

See all 11 events

Full history back to 2021 — violations, complaints, permits, buyouts, and fire incidents.

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Every record we have

Full data for 85-87 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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Cancel anytime · Data sourced from SF Open Data, DBI, SFFD, SF Rent Board & Planning

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