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197 21St Ave

Lake Street, SF 94121 1381014B 2 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 197 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 1915
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 built1915
Total area2,576 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot1381014B
Ownership

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

Owner name
By-Pass Trust
Mailing address
Mae Kim Lee 197 21St Ave San Francisco CA 94121
Last sale
061799

Landlord portfolio

Other SF properties this owner holds, with risk grades for each.

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Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The two-unit multi-family residential building at 197 21st Avenue, located in the Lake -- The Presidio neighborhood, was constructed in 1915 and is currently owned by By-pass Trust. The property has undergone several significant improvements over the years, with the most recent major upgrade being a 200-amp electrical service upgrade completed in 2020, which included installation of two 100-amp panels and 20 circuits. Other documented improvements include a street space permit from 2015 and a reroofing project completed in 1989.

The building's recent history shows no major structural or safety concerns, though there have been numerous service calls regarding street maintenance and public services in the surrounding area since 2023. These include multiple reports of garbage and debris (most of which were resolved with no findings or no work needed), parking violations (with citations issued), and two street maintenance issues in 2024 involving pavement defects and an unauthorized sidewalk use permit situation that resulted in a code violation notice. Other minor issues have been addressed, including a hazardous materials removal (glass) in late 2023 and a bent sign repair in mid-2023. The property itself appears to have been maintained in compliance with building codes, with the most recent electrical upgrade indicating attention to modern safety standards.

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

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Risk rating

How 197 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
44th percentile

Out of 660 buildings in this neighborhood, 370 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
84%
No DBI
violation
16%
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.

Estimated permit spend (past 7 years)

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

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 77.8%
Moderate concern 18.0%
Severe concern 4.3%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

197 21St Ave apartment reviews

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The story over time

197 21St Ave event timeline

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

2026
311 Request Jun 12
Toters left out 24x7
Litter Receptacle Maintenance
311 RequestMay 24
Other illegal parking

See all 14 events

Full history back to 2020 — violations, complaints, permits, buyouts, and fire incidents.

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Every record we have

Full data for 197 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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Cancel anytime · Data sourced from SF Open Data, DBI, SFFD, SF Rent Board & Planning

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