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809-811 Ashbury St

Buena Vista Park/Ashbury Heights, SF 94117 1269003 5 units · 3 fl · 1906

This building has far more open problems than almost any other in the neighborhood. Renters here report frequent, slow-to-fix problems. Get repair promises in writing and check the unit before signing.

NOVs (7y) vs. neighborhood
Compared to a typical building in Buena Vista Park/Ashbury Heights
Above average
avg 1.6
25
FewerMore

This building has 25 novs (7y), above the Buena Vista Park/Ashbury Heights average of 1.6.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 809-811 Ashbury 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 1906
2 or more units
5 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
Units5
Floors3
Year built1906
Total area5,325 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot1269003
Ownership

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

Owner name
John W Zito Living Trust
Mailing address
John W Zito, Trustee 1635 Arch St Berkeley CA 94709
Last sale
022621

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.

809 Ashbury St, San Francisco, CA 94117
811 Ashbury St, San Francisco, CA 94117
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The 5-unit, 3-story multi-family residential building at 809-811 Ashbury Street, owned by the John W Zito Living Trust, has undergone significant modifications and experienced various maintenance issues in recent years. Originally built in 1906, the building has been actively undergoing renovations since at least 2017, when permits were obtained to add an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) at ground level, replacing existing storage space. This work progressed through multiple stages and completed with associated fire safety upgrades, including a new fire sprinkler system and fire alarm system replacement in early 2023. The building has also undergone a mandatory soft-story retrofit, which was completed successfully.

Recent tenant complaints from late 2024 have highlighted multiple concerning issues, including water intrusion, electrical problems, heating system failures, and maintenance concerns in Units 3 and 5, as well as problems in common areas. In December 2024, units reported leaking ceilings, electrical inoperability, and various safety concerns including obstructed exits and improperly maintained common areas. These followed earlier complaints in 2023 regarding electrical hazards and water leaks. The building's infrastructure work has included plumbing system upgrades, a new 400-amp service installation in October 2023, and various permit renewals for incomplete or expired work. Multiple building violations and complaints from 2023 remain active, involving window repairs, lighting issues, and egress obstruction concerns. Historically, the building had a fire-related violation in 2000 regarding combustible storage, which was abated within months. The property has also generated several 311 calls in recent years, primarily related to waste management and construction activities.

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

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Risk rating

How 809-811 Ashbury 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
1th percentile

Out of 351 buildings in this neighborhood, 347 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
15%
No DBI
violation
85%
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.

Number of units

The number of units affects how the model reads complaint and violation totals — more units means more potential sources.

Notices of Violation (past 7 years)

DBI issued Notices of Violation at this address over the last 7 years — a direct record of code enforcement activity.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 8.9%
Moderate concern 66.2%
Severe concern 24.9%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

809-811 Ashbury St apartment reviews

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The story over time

809-811 Ashbury St event timeline

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

2026
DBI Complaint Apr 22
Paint is peeling from the entire unit. the surface of the bathtub is degrading and falling apart.
Housing Inspection Services
Building Violation (NOV)Apr 13
Building violation

See all 27 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 809-811 Ashbury 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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