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5518-5520 California St

Lake Street, SF 94121 1377020 3 units · 2 fl · 1915

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 5518-5520 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 1915
2 or more units
3 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
Units3
Floors2
Year built1915
Total area3,430 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot1377020
Ownership

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

Owner name
Wong Trusts
Mailing address
William V Wong 39 Shore View Ave San Francisco CA 94121
Last sale
000000

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.

5518 California St, San Francisco, CA 94121
5520 California St, San Francisco, CA 94121
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The Wong Trusts-owned multi-family residential building at 5518-5520 California Street, constructed in 1915, is a two-story flats and duplex structure that has undergone significant recent improvements. In 2023, the property completed a comprehensive renovation project valued at $106,637, which included kitchen and bathroom renovations, the addition of a new half-bathroom on the second level, and window replacements on both the front facade and rear of the building. This work was accompanied by corresponding plumbing and electrical upgrades, including the installation of new lighting, switches, receptacles, and smoke detectors, all of which were properly permitted and completed in May 2023.

The building's maintenance history shows attention to structural integrity, with foundation repairs documented in 1991 and reroofing work performed in 1989, though the latter permit expired. More recent years have seen occasional neighborhood maintenance issues recorded through 311 calls, including reports of abandoned vehicles (which were resolved), street cleaning matters, and some graffiti and lighting concerns in the surrounding area. The property has experienced two fire safety-related incidents - one being a false alarm and another involving a smoke detector activation, neither of which resulted in injuries or actual fires. While the building's exterior maintenance and upgrading activities indicate regular upkeep, the surrounding street has faced typical urban challenges as evidenced by various municipal service calls, most of which have been resolved promptly.

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

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Risk rating

How 5518-5520 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
86th percentile

Out of 660 buildings in this neighborhood, 92 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
89%
No DBI
violation
11%
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.

Building permits, owner's portfolio

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

Notices of Violation, owner's portfolio

DBI NOVs across all buildings this owner is registered on — a signal of systemic maintenance issues across the portfolio.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 81.0%
Moderate concern 16.1%
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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On the map

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The story over time

5518-5520 California St event timeline

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

2023
Plumbing Permit May 19
Remodel kitchen & bathroom in-kind, add 1/2 bath
Complete
Electrical PermitMay 19
Remodel kitchen & bathroom in-kind, add 1/2 bath next to (e) bathroom/laundry room; 6 lights, 5 switches, 10 receptacles, 1 fan, 1 dishwasher, 1 garbage disposal, 4 smoke detectors

See all 3 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 5518-5520 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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