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309 5Th Ave

Inner Richmond, SF 94118 1437002 5 units · 2 fl · 1961

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 Inner Richmond
At or below average
avg 0.9
0
FewerMore

This building has 0 novs (7y), at or below the Inner Richmond average of 0.9.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 309 5Th 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 1961
2 or more units
5 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
Units5
Floors2
Year built1961
Total area4,456 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot1437002
Ownership

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

Owner name
Donna P Cho Revoc Tr
Mailing address
Cho Donna P Ttee 309 5Th Ave Apt 6 San Francisco CA 94118
Last sale
120313

Landlord portfolio

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

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Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The two-story multi-family residential building at 309 5th Avenue in San Francisco's Inner Richmond district, owned by the Donna P Cho Revocable Trust, was constructed in 1961 and contains 5 units. The property has undergone several significant improvements over the past decades, most notably a completed soft-story retrofit in 2017 (tier 3), which included the installation of an ordinary steel moment frame and foundation reinforcements, demonstrating compliance with seismic safety requirements. Recent safety upgrades include the installation of a new fire alarm system in December 2023 (with corresponding electrical work completed in April 2024), reflecting ongoing commitment to fire safety improvements. The building previously underwent substantial renovations in 2010-2011, including the merger of units 3 and 6, substantial interior modifications, and the addition of a new laundry room and bathroom facilities, along with comprehensive electrical and plumbing updates.

The property's maintenance history indicates regular upkeep, including a reroofing project in 2022 valued at $17,500. Several building inspections have been conducted over the years, with specific attention to fire safety in 2003 and 2010, though all identified violations were abated and the cases are marked as not active. Historical records show earlier issues in the mid-1980s, including fungus damage repairs and water damage, but these were resolved. The building's recent history shows no major violations or recurring maintenance issues, and all current essential systems appear to be up to code, with the most recent improvements focusing on building safety and seismic compliance. The surrounding area has experienced typical urban challenges including occasional graffiti and abandoned vehicles, as documented in 311 calls, but these are external to the building itself.

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

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Risk rating

How 309 5Th 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
43th percentile

Out of 1723 buildings in this neighborhood, 982 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
81%
No DBI
violation
19%
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.

Owner's portfolio size

Number of SF parcels this owner is registered on — larger portfolios have distinct risk patterns.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 73.1%
Moderate concern 16.6%
Severe concern 10.3%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

309 5Th Ave apartment reviews

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The story over time

309 5Th Ave event timeline

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

2025
Electrical Permit Mar 31
Replace existing main zinsco panels.
Issued

See all 5 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 309 5Th 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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