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5533 California St

Central Richmond, SF 94121 1416042 4 units · 2 fl · 1923

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
At or below average
avg 0.5
0
FewerMore

This building has 0 novs (7y), at or below the Central Richmond average of 0.5.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 5533 California St 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 1923
2 or more units
4 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
Units4
Floors2
Year built1923
Total area3,658 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot1416042
Ownership

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

Owner name
Whitmoyer Jeffrey L & Melis
Mailing address
5533 California St Apt 2 San Francisco CA 94121
Last sale
091813

Landlord portfolio

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

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Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The two-story, four-unit multi-family residential building at 5533 California Street in the Central Richmond neighborhood, owned by Jeffrey L. Whitmoyer and Melis, has undergone several significant renovations and maintenance work since its construction in 1923. Most recently, in 2022, there was a concerning report about the owner allegedly performing construction work while intoxicated, potentially creating dangerous conditions, though this complaint is listed as "not active." In 2016, the building faced multiple violations related to safety concerns, including issues with fire safety, smoke detectors, and electrical systems, all of which were abated by June 2016. Significant improvements were made to the building's infrastructure over the years, including a comprehensive unit renovation in 2013 ($18,000) that involved electrical upgrades, bathroom and kitchen renovations in Unit 2, along with the replacement of all four units' furnaces. The building has received attention to its structural integrity, with foundation work and seismic improvements documented in 1991 including the installation of foundation bolts and mud sills.

The property has maintained a regular schedule of updates and repairs, including a 2009 project to replace rear exit stairs and landing, electrical subpanel upgrades in 2015, and plumbing work including a sewer repair in 2010. While most building permits and inspections indicate completed work, there was one expired plumbing permit in 2013 related to kitchen and bathroom remodeling. The building's parking area has been the subject of multiple complaints regarding illegal parking, and there have been occasional maintenance issues such as a sewage backup in 2016. The building's systems have generally been updated to modern standards, including a 2015 electrical upgrade converting three fuse subpanels to circuit breaker subpanels, though some maintenance issues have recurred, such as an expired fire extinguisher noted in 2016. The property was purchased with tenant buyout permission for one unit in December 2017 for $16,000.

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

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Risk rating

How 5533 California St'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
11th percentile

Out of 2250 buildings in this neighborhood, 2002 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
59%
No DBI
violation
41%
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.

Number of units

The number of units affects how the model reads complaint and violation totals — more units means more potential sources.

DBI tenant complaints (past 7 years)

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

Permit rate, owner's portfolio

Per-building permit rate across the owner's portfolio.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 47.5%
Moderate concern 40.9%
Severe concern 11.6%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
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The story over time

5533 California St event timeline

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

2023
DBI Complaint Feb 07
Date last observed: 28-dec-22; time last observed: 12pm; identity of person performing the work: jeff whitmoyer; floor: 3rd floor; exact location: main bldg; building type: residence/dwelling work beyond scope of permit; work being done in dangerous manner; other building; ; additional information: owner/ builder jeff whitmoyer consistently intoxicated during the course of work. seen onsite conducting contractor/project manager duties while under the influence. using laborers to carry overweight items (500lbs) up stairs, helping them while intoxicated and creating an extremely dangerous work enviroment. lack of safe equipment while carrying overweight (500lbs) appliances ;
Building Inspection Division

See all 1 events

Full history back to 2023 — violations, complaints, permits, buyouts, and fire incidents.

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Every record we have

Full data for 5533 California St apartments

13 SF public datasets for this parcel — permits, violations, complaints, fire records, 311 calls, planning records, and buyouts.

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