5539 California St, San Francisco, CA 94121

The two-unit residential building at 5539 California Street in San Francisco's Central Richmond neighborhood is a two-story flats and duplex structure built in 1915, currently owned by the Jason W Lew Revocable Trust. The property has a notable compliance history, with a significant violation case filed in December 2005 concerning an unauthorized ground floor dwelling unit that was allegedly being advertised as a two-bedroom apartment with kitchen, living room, and bathroom facilities.

This violation led to abatement proceedings that were ultimately resolved by February 2009 through proper permitting and decommissioning of unauthorized facilities, including the removal of an illegally installed kitchen and bathtub, and the relocation of a hand basin, all completed under a $10,000 building permit in 2006. During the resolution period, the property underwent legitimate maintenance work, including a roofing project completed in 2006 (approximately $8,450) and electrical upgrades comprising the installation of new lighting fixtures, switches, and receptacles.

There was one instance of unauthorized work noted in January 2006 regarding reroofing without a permit, but this was promptly addressed on the same day. More recently, from 2020 to 2024, there have been several 311 calls primarily regarding street cleaning issues, including reports of garbage, debris, and abandoned furniture on public property, though these were not directly related to the building's condition or habitability. The most recent service calls, from 2023-2024, have been primarily for general street maintenance and sign repairs, indicating no building-specific violations or complaints in the past decade.