Free SF apartment background check

238 21St Ave

Central Richmond, SF 94121 1413033 3 units · 2 fl · 1916

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 Central Richmond
Above average
avg 0.5
4
FewerMore

This building has 4 novs (7y), above the Central Richmond average of 0.5.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 238 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 1916
2 or more units
3 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
Units3
Floors2
Year built1916
Total area3,104 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot1413033
Ownership

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

Owner name
Ruggiero Robert D Rev Liv T
Mailing address
130 Maywood Way San Rafael CA 94901
Last sale
000000

Landlord portfolio

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

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Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The three-unit, two-story multi-family residential building located at 238 21st Avenue in the Central Richmond neighborhood was constructed in 1916 and is currently held in a revocable living trust by Robert D Ruggiero. The building's most recent major infrastructure upgrade occurred in March 2024, when the electrical system was successfully upgraded to a 200-amp service, representing a significant modernization of the property's electrical capabilities. However, the building experienced a notable period of habitability issues in April 2024, when multiple building violations were filed concerning inadequate heating and hot water systems, specifically failing to maintain the required minimum room temperature of 70°F in habitable spaces and providing hot water at the required temperatures between 105°F and 120°F. These violations were officially abated by May 7, 2024, suggesting prompt resolution of the system failures.

The property has a documented history of parking-related issues, with multiple complaints about blocked driveways recorded between 2020 and 2025. This includes three separate incidents: one in July 2024 that was invalid due to incomplete reporting information, one in May 2024 that resulted in a citation, and one in July 2020 that was resolved through enforcement action. The building's exterior environment has occasionally required attention, with several 311 calls related to garbage, debris, and hazardous materials between 2019 and 2025, including two glass-related incidents and Christmas tree disposal requests in early 2021 and 2020, respectively. While these exterior maintenance issues have been addressed as needed, they represent the primary environmental concerns associated with the property.

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

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Risk rating

How 238 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
16th percentile

Out of 2250 buildings in this neighborhood, 1890 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
67%
No DBI
violation
33%
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.

DBI tenant complaints (past 7 years)

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

Estimated permit spend (past 7 years)

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

NOV rate, owner's portfolio

Per-building NOV rate across everything this owner manages — high rates signal pattern neglect.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 58.1%
Moderate concern 34.4%
Severe concern 7.5%
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

238 21St Ave event timeline

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

2024
Building Violation (NOV) Apr 04
Building violation
At time of inspection, furnace was not operable. repair/replace furnace as needed.
Building Violation (NOV)Apr 04
Building violation

See all 6 events

Full history back to 2024 — violations, complaints, permits, buyouts, and fire incidents.

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Every record we have

Full data for 238 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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