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127-129 18Th Ave

Lake Street, SF 94121 1378004 7 units · 3 fl

This building has significantly more problems than most nearby buildings. 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 127-129 18Th Ave 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 unknown
2 or more units
7 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
RH2
Not rent-controlled. Buildings constructed after 1978 are generally exempt from SF rent increase limits under the Costa-Hawkins Act.

Based on SF Assessor records. Not legal advice — confirm with the SF Rent Board.

Building characteristics
Units7
Floors3
Year built—
Total area4,426 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot1378004
Ownership

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

Owner name
Lam Family Trust
Mailing address
646 Balboa St San Francisco CA 94118
Last sale
022521

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.

129 18th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94121
127 18th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94121
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The 6-unit, 2-story multi-family residential building at 127-129 18th Avenue, constructed in 1921 and currently owned by the Lam Family Trust, has undergone significant improvements over the past several years, particularly focusing on safety upgrades. Most notably, the building completed mandatory soft-story retrofit work in 2018 (Tier 4 status: Work Complete, CFC Issued), along with the installation of a new fire alarm system with sprinkler monitoring in 2020 ($16,000) to meet current fire code requirements. The building also underwent major renovation in 2018-2019 with the conversion of ground floor storage and garage area into a 2-bedroom ADU (approximately 947 SF), including comprehensive upgrades to meet current building codes, followed by additional modifications to meet soundproofing requirements.

The property has a history of addressing safety and habitability concerns, particularly during a 2003-2004 violation period where multiple issues were identified and subsequently abated, including problems with heating, electrical systems, fire escape maintenance, and water leakage. Recent complaints in 2023 regarding soundproofing compliance in the newly constructed ADU suggest ongoing concerns about building systems performance. The building experienced two fire code violations in May 2020 related to alarm system issues, though these were promptly addressed. Several recent 311 calls primarily relate to parking enforcement and street cleaning matters outside the building, with minimal implications for resident safety or comfort. The property's recent history shows a pattern of proactive improvements and compliance with safety regulations, though some persistent concerns about soundproofing and building systems performance remain.

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

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Risk rating

How 127-129 18Th Ave'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
13th percentile

Out of 660 buildings in this neighborhood, 574 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
58%
No DBI
violation
42%
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.

Number of units

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

DBI tenant complaints (past 7 years)

Formal complaints tenants filed with DBI about this building over 7 years.

Building age

Older buildings tend to have more maintenance challenges; SF's pre-1906 earthquake housing stock carries distinct risk.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 61.5%
Moderate concern 30.2%
Severe concern 8.3%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

127-129 18Th Ave apartment reviews

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The story over time

127-129 18Th Ave event timeline

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

2026
311 Request May 30
Garbage and debris
furniture
DBI ComplaintFeb 26
Date last observed: 19-feb-26; floor: ground; unit: 1; exact location: main bldg; building type: residence/dwelling insects/rodents; ; additional information: have been seeing multiple species of insects (most prominently ants, silverfish, book lice) consistently inside the unit on a daily basis, have had noticeable leaks and moisture buildup in walls/ceiling and are worried moisture or improper foundation is allowing insects to live/breed inside the unit outside despite mitigation from tenants. ;

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 127-129 18Th Ave apartments

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

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