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4829-4835 California St

Inner Richmond, SF 94118 1423045 4 units · 2 fl · 1922

This building has more problems than most buildings in this neighborhood. Few open issues; problems get fixed quickly. A reasonable bet for a smooth tenancy.

NOVs (7y) vs. neighborhood
Compared to a typical building in Inner Richmond
Above average
avg 0.9
7
FewerMore

This building has 7 novs (7y), above the Inner Richmond average of 0.9.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 4829-4835 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 1922
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 built1922
Total area4,080 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusHome Owners
Blocklot1423045
Ownership

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

Owner name
Lu Ralph Buck Chew
Mailing address
4835 California St San Francisco CA 94118
Last sale
092308

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.

4835 California St, San Francisco, CA 94118
4829 California St, San Francisco, CA 94118
4833 California St, San Francisco, CA 94118
4831 California St, San Francisco, CA 94118
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The property at 4829-4835 California Street is a two-story, 4-unit multi-family residential building constructed in 1922, currently owned by Ralph Buck Chew Lu. The building has experienced several maintenance and safety issues over the past two decades, with the most recent significant concerns arising from a routine safety inspection in February 2017 that identified multiple violations including the need for carbon monoxide detectors, fire extinguishers, repairs to wooden stairs, and removal of egress obstructions. These violations were promptly addressed and abated by March 2017. Earlier issues in 2008 included problems with deck maintenance, heating system failures, and electrical outlet malfunctions, all of which were subsequently repaired. The building has a history of addressing structural maintenance needs, evidenced by permits for rear decking repairs (2008), side stucco replacement (2001), and greenhouse modifications (2004).

Several historical complaints and violations suggest ongoing attention to building systems and safety requirements, including the removal of an illegal basement bathroom in 1988, correction of plumbing and electrical violations in 2002, and concerns about smoke infiltration between units. A 2012 fire inspection noted combustible materials, though this issue was immediately corrected. More recent records from 2020-2022 show primarily external issues near the property, such as pavement defects and sidewalk cleaning matters, which were handled by city services and generally resolved promptly. The building's maintenance history indicates regular attention to both routine maintenance and code compliance issues, with most violations being addressed and corrected promptly upon notification.

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

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Risk rating

How 4829-4835 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
27th percentile

Out of 1723 buildings in this neighborhood, 1258 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
74%
No DBI
violation
26%
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.

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.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 57.7%
Moderate concern 29.0%
Severe concern 13.3%
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

4829-4835 California St event timeline

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

2026
311 Request May 04
Garbage and debris
other loose garbage debris yard waste

See all 4 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 4829-4835 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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Cancel anytime · Data sourced from SF Open Data, DBI, SFFD, SF Rent Board & Planning

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