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37-39 Downey St

Haight Ashbury, SF 94117 1254054 3 units · 3 fl · 1908

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 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 37-39 Downey 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 1908
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 built1908
Total area3,828 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot1254054
Ownership

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

Owner name
Berg Living Trust
Mailing address
Berg Jeffrey R & Friea M Co 506 Vallejo St San Francisco CA 94133
Last sale
081611

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.

37 Downey St, San Francisco, CA 94117
39 Downey St, San Francisco, CA 94117
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The three-unit residential building at 37-39 Downey Street in Haight Ashbury, owned by the Berg Living Trust, has undergone several significant improvements and maintenance work since its construction in 1908. Most recently, in 2024, a solar PV system was installed, adding sustainability features to the property. A notable upcoming project has been filed for October 2024, involving modifications to the roof access and the creation of a new private roof deck. The building has received substantial interior upgrades, including a $60,000 renovation in 2022-2023 involving kitchen and bathroom remodeling across all units, though there were complaints filed in 2022 regarding an alleged unauthorized unit installation behind the storage area. Maintenance history shows consistent upkeep, with a complete reroofing in 2021 ($21,000) and termination of several violations from 2003-2009 related to stairs, doors, and egress requirements, which were all properly addressed.

The property's historical records reveal attention to structural integrity and safety, including repairs following a structural report and termite inspection in 2011 ($11,000), and earlier siding and foundation work in 2009 ($1,500) that included dry rot repairs and installation of anchor bolts. A backflow prevention device was installed in February 2024, demonstrating ongoing attention to plumbing systems. While there have been multiple 311 calls regarding parking enforcement and some maintenance issues, these are typical for the area and have been addressed through appropriate channels. A single fire incident was recorded, but it was limited to a malfunctioning smoke detector with no injuries reported. The building has undergone regular routine inspections, most recently in 2017, suggesting compliance with housing codes and regulations.

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

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Risk rating

How 37-39 Downey 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
85th percentile

Out of 581 buildings in this neighborhood, 87 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
84%
No DBI
violation
16%
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.

Building size

Total floor area — a proxy for building scale and the number of systems (plumbing, electrical, HVAC) that can fail.

DBI complaint rate, owner's portfolio

Per-building complaint rate across the owner's portfolio.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 70.9%
Moderate concern 22.3%
Severe concern 6.8%
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

37-39 Downey St event timeline

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

2024
Building Permit Oct 31
Removal of (e) roof access and rooftop stair penthouse. new access stair from (e) level 3 landing to roof level. new rooftop stair penthouse (73 sf). new private roof deck (320 sf). associated lighting and power (by others).
$25,000 · Filed
Planning ProjectJul 18
The project proposes the following to an existing three-story building with three dwelling units: removal of the existing roof access and rooftop stair penthouse; new access stair from the existing third level landing to the roof level; new rooftop stair penthouse; and a new private roof deck.

See all 14 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 37-39 Downey 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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