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252-254 26Th Ave

Lake Street, SF 94121 1385024 2 units · 2 fl · 1907

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 252-254 26Th 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 1907
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 built1907
Total area2,120 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot1385024
Ownership

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

Owner name
Tong Richard & Swartzbaugh
Mailing address
254 26th Ave San Francisco CA 94121
Last sale
092618

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.

254 26th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94121
252 26th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94121
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The two-unit multi-family residential building at 252-254 26th Avenue, located in the Lake-Presidio neighborhood and owned by Richard Tong and Swartzbaugh, has undergone several significant renovations since its construction in 1907. Most notably, in 2017, substantial improvements were made including bathroom remodeling, kitchen countertop updates ($25,000 total), along with plumbing work for an ice maker line, gas line for stove, and washing machine installation. The building has addressed various maintenance issues over the years, such as stair repairs in 2011 (both a $3,000 original permit and a $1,000 revision to address dry rot), and historical window upgrades including a cancelled 2009 permit for vinyl window installation and a completed 1990 permit for aluminum window installation. A significant maintenance matter occurred in 2002 involving water damage issues between neighboring properties, though this was resolved within two months. Recent infrastructure updates include the replacement of a gas water heater in 2022, and the building's systems have generally been well-maintained, with no active building violations on record since 2002. Outside the building itself, there has been a notable pattern of abandoned vehicle complaints on the street, with multiple reports between 2019 and 2023, though these are not directly related to the building's condition or management.

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

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Risk rating

How 252-254 26Th 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
42th percentile

Out of 660 buildings in this neighborhood, 383 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
83%
No DBI
violation
17%
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.

Neighborhood location

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

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 73.5%
Moderate concern 22.6%
Severe concern 3.9%
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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The story over time

252-254 26Th Ave event timeline

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

2022
Plumbing Permit Dec 23
Work category: 1p; r/r gas water heater
Expired

See all 1 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 252-254 26Th 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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