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144-148 21St Ave

Lake Street, SF 94121 1380028 3 units · 3 fl · 1910

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 144-148 21St 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 1910
2 or more units
3 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
RH2
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
Floors3
Year built1910
Total area4,600 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusHome Owners
Blocklot1380028
Ownership

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

Owner name
Chen Linddy Y K
Mailing address
146 21st Ave San Francisco CA 94121
Last sale
052997

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.

144 21st Ave, San Francisco, CA 94121
146 21st Ave, San Francisco, CA 94121
148 21st Ave, San Francisco, CA 94121
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The three-unit residential building at 144-148 21st Avenue, located in the Lake -- The Presidio neighborhood, is a 3-story flats and duplex structure built in 1910, currently owned by Linddy Y K Chen. The property has undergone several significant modifications and improvements over the years, with the most recent major work including the replacement of water heater and laundry sink in 2022, and extensive electrical remodeling in 2006 involving the installation of 30 lights, 15 switches, 35 receptacles, and 1 panel. Between 2004-2006, there were important structural modifications including the relocation and expansion of a rear cottage unit, installation of fire-rated glass block windows, and the enclosure of stairs, while 1997-1998 saw various bathroom renovations and siding replacements completed.

The building's maintenance history shows attention to basic infrastructure, including a reroofing project in 2001, though some permits from this period are listed as expired. Two complaints were filed regarding construction work - one in 2006 concerning potential asbestos during cottage demolition, and another in 2010 about unauthorized crane use and noise, both of which were promptly addressed. More recently, there has been recurring street parking enforcement activity near the property, with multiple citations issued for driveway blocking between 2021-2024, though these are external issues not directly related to the building's condition or management. Planning records indicate historical discussions about expanding the structure and its occupancy status, with various approvals and disapprovals documented between 1997-2004, though the most recent planning actions show no pending issues.

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

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Risk rating

How 144-148 21St 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
34th percentile

Out of 660 buildings in this neighborhood, 436 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
78%
No DBI
violation
22%
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.

Estimated permit spend (past 7 years)

Dollar value of permits pulled at this address — large recent spend can signal deferred-maintenance catch-up.

Construction spend, owner's portfolio

Estimated permit value across all of this owner's buildings.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 58.8%
Moderate concern 32.4%
Severe concern 8.7%
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

144-148 21St Ave event timeline

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

2026
Building Permit Jun 18
Reroof. no hot works
$15,000 · Issued

See all 2 events

Full history back to 2022 — violations, complaints, permits, buyouts, and fire incidents.

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Every record we have

Full data for 144-148 21St Ave apartments

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

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