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4738-4742 California St

Lake Street, SF 94118 1369017 2 units · 2 fl · 1902

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 4738-4742 California 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 1902
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 built1902
Total area1,940 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot1369017
Ownership

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

Owner name
Gao/Lin Family Trust
Mailing address
Albert Gao & Muling Lin Tru 4742 California St San Francisco CA 94118
Last sale
092711

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.

4738 California St, San Francisco, CA 94118
4742 California St, San Francisco, CA 94118
4740 California St, San Francisco, CA 94118
Augrented Insights
AI summary

The property at 4738-4742 California Street is a two-unit, two-story multi-family residential building located in the Lake-Presidio neighborhood, built in 1902 and currently owned by the Gao/lin Family Trust. The building underwent significant renovations between 2007-2008, including complete electrical rewiring (installation of 50 lights, 30 switch boxes, and 40 receptacle boxes), plumbing updates (new bathrooms, kitchens, and laundry facilities in both units), and various structural modifications such as relocating washer/dryers, modifying door locations, and extending ceiling heights. These improvements were documented through multiple building, plumbing, and electrical permits, and all major work was completed successfully.

The building's maintenance history shows several past issues that were promptly addressed, including a roof leak and water damage reported in 1997, various plumbing and drainage concerns in 2000, and a debris complaint in 2007, all of which were resolved. A fire safety violation regarding egress obstruction was filed in 2000 but was abated within weeks. The property has experienced recurring street-related issues, as evidenced by numerous street space permits throughout 2008 and two recent parking violations in 2024. Recent municipal service interactions primarily relate to street maintenance, with reports of pavement defects and general street cleaning needs being addressed by city services in 2016, 2020, and 2023. While the building's past issues suggest some historical maintenance challenges, these problems were generally addressed promptly, and no recent building violations or major complaints have been filed against the property since the 2008 renovations.

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Risk rating

How 4738-4742 California 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
43th percentile

Out of 660 buildings in this neighborhood, 376 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
83%
No DBI
violation
17%
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.

Building permits, owner's portfolio

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

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 79.8%
Moderate concern 15.1%
Severe concern 5.0%
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

4738-4742 California St event timeline

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

2023
311 Request Mar 09
Pavement defect
Pavement Defect

See all 1 events

Full history back to 2023 — violations, complaints, permits, buyouts, and fire incidents.

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Every record we have

Full data for 4738-4742 California 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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