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2538-2540 Lake St

Lake Street, SF 94121 1332023 2 units · 2 fl · 1921

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 Lake Street
At or below average
avg 0.6
0
FewerMore

This building has 0 novs (7y), at or below the Lake Street average of 0.6.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 2538-2540 Lake 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 1921
2 or more units
2 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
RM1
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 built1921
Total area3,788 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot1332023
Ownership

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

Owner name
Costanzo Survivors Tr
Mailing address
Lassahn T Anne 2075 Pioneer Ct San Mateo CA 94403
Last sale
012898

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.

2538 Lake St, San Francisco, CA 94121
2540 Lake St, San Francisco, CA 94121
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The property at 2538 Lake Street is a two-unit, two-story multi-family residential building constructed in 1921, currently owned by the Costanzo Survivors Trust. The building has undergone significant recent renovations, with major work commencing in August 2023 including the installation of a new roof deck, comprehensive fire sprinkler system, and removal of unpermitted rear decks at a cost of approximately $1.1 million. Earlier improvements in 2021 included extensive bathroom and kitchen renovations, window replacements, and complete electrical upgrades. The building has faced several maintenance challenges, including environmental remediation work in 2021 to address microbial growth and past complaints about unauthorized demolition work in 2019. The property has also received substantial infrastructure upgrades, such as a main electrical panel upgrade to 400A in 2023, replacement of water heaters with heat pump systems in 2022-2023, and installation of new furnaces in 2018.

The building's maintenance history reveals some concerning patterns, particularly a cluster of complaints regarding unpermitted work and demolition activities in 2019-2021, along with a hoarding situation reported in 2010-2012. The property has been the subject of multiple 311 calls related to various issues, including building maintenance, parking violations, and environmental concerns, though most of these cases have been resolved. A tenant buyout occurred in August 2021 involving two tenants and $72,000 in compensation. Recent improvements suggest a significant investment in the property's infrastructure and living conditions, with particular attention to safety features such as fire sprinklers and electrical systems, though some past issues regarding unpermitted work and mold concerns have been documented.

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

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Risk rating

How 2538-2540 Lake 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
91th percentile

Out of 660 buildings in this neighborhood, 59 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
91%
No DBI
violation
9%
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.

DBI complaint rate, owner's portfolio

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

DBI complaints, owner's portfolio

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

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 81.9%
Moderate concern 15.2%
Severe concern 2.9%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

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The story over time

2538-2540 Lake St event timeline

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

2024
311 Request Oct 15
"private lot"
"other"

See all 15 events

Full history back to 2019 — violations, complaints, permits, buyouts, and fire incidents.

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Every record we have

Full data for 2538-2540 Lake St apartments

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

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