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118-120 21St Ave

Lake Street, SF 94121 1380031B 2 units · 2 fl · 1911

This building has more problems than most buildings in this neighborhood. 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 118-120 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 1911
2 or more units
2 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
Units2
Floors2
Year built1911
Total area2,514 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusHome Owners
Blocklot1380031B
Ownership

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

Owner name
Wong Daniel Y
Mailing address
118 21st Ave San Francisco CA 94121
Last sale
012908

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.

118 21st Ave, San Francisco, CA 94121
120 21st Ave, San Francisco, CA 94121
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The two-unit residential building at 118-120 21st Avenue in the Lake-Presidio neighborhood is a two-story flats and duplex structure built in 1911 and currently owned by Daniel Y Wong. The property has experienced several significant maintenance and safety issues over the past decade, most notably a recent active complaint filed in November 2024 regarding a carbon monoxide leak from a basement water heater setup that also raised concerns about cramped plumbing and electrical conditions. A 2023 complaint about blight mentions concerns regarding a deteriorating rear structure affecting an adjacent fence. The building underwent some voluntary compliance work in 2010 following physical inspection report #CC-5642, which included electrical upgrades and plumbing corrections, though these permits have since expired. Earlier building modification attempts in 2005 for vertical and horizontal additions were withdrawn.

The property has undergone several regulatory processes, including condo conversion applications that were ultimately approved. Historical complaints from 2014 noted concerns about tree root damage to a brick wall. While the building's major systems have received some attention through permits and inspections, the most pressing recent concerns appear to be related to safety systems and building maintenance. The property has generated numerous 311 calls between 2019-2022, though these primarily relate to parking violations and street cleaning issues rather than building-specific problems.

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

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Risk rating

How 118-120 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
22th percentile

Out of 660 buildings in this neighborhood, 515 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
72%
No DBI
violation
28%
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.

DBI tenant complaints (past 7 years)

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

Neighborhood location

Precise location is a proxy for neighborhood-level risk — some SF blocks have systematically higher DBI activity.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 58.4%
Moderate concern 34.9%
Severe concern 6.7%
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

118-120 21St Ave event timeline

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

2024
DBI Complaint Nov 14
Date last observed: 30-oct-24; exact location: basement; building type: residence/dwelling other building; other electrical; other plumbing; ; additional information: basement water heater setup resulted in a carbon monoxide leak. in general, the basement plumbing/electrical setup seems cramped and not up to code.;
Plumbing Inspection Division
Planning RecordMay 20
Alleged unauthorized STR use.

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 118-120 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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