Free SF apartment background check

495 38Th Ave

Outer Richmond, SF 94121 1470044 6 units · 3 fl · 1956

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 Outer Richmond
At or below average
avg 0.7
0
FewerMore

This building has 0 novs (7y), at or below the Outer Richmond average of 0.7.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 495 38Th 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 1956
2 or more units
6 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
Units6
Floors3
Year built1956
Total area4,620 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot1470044
Ownership

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

Owner name
Koslowski Exemption Trust
Mailing address
Freda Hoffman 4448 Laurelgrove Ave Studio City CA 91604
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-story, six-unit multi-family residential building at 495 38th Avenue in San Francisco's Outer Richmond district, built in 1956 and currently owned by Koslowski Exemption Trust, has undergone several significant improvements and faced various maintenance challenges over the years. Notable recent improvements include a completed soft story retrofit in 2015 costing $85,000 (a mandatory seismic safety upgrade for Tier 3 buildings), and the installation of a new electrical service panel with 7 meters in 2008. The building has faced multiple challenges ensuring fire safety and security, particularly during a series of violations in April 2002 that required repairs to fire proofing, smoke enclosure doors, and egress pathways, as well as improvements to security features, though all these violations were abated by July 2002. Earlier maintenance issues included garage leaks during rain in 1994 and a roofing project in 2015 that expired without completion notice.

The property has experienced several fire alarm system incidents, with documented malfunctions in 2009 and 2015, though no injuries were reported in any fire-related incidents. A recent planning inquiry noted concerns about architecturally incompatible windows, though this request appears to have been cancelled. The building's location has generated numerous 311 calls in the past year (2024-2025), primarily related to street cleaning and abandoned debris, with multiple reports of garbage and furniture left on the street. External infrastructure issues nearby have included a damaged parking meter and traffic signal. While the building has undergone some major improvements to meet current safety standards, including the mandatory soft story retrofit, the historical record shows periods of maintenance challenges and regulatory compliance efforts typical of older buildings in the San Francisco area. The most recent tenant buyout recorded for a property associated with the ownership was for $49,937.50 in August 2022 at 3627 Clement Street, though it's unclear if this directly relates to the 38th Avenue address.

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

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Risk rating

How 495 38Th 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
23th percentile

Out of 1040 buildings in this neighborhood, 801 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
72%
No DBI
violation
28%
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.

Neighborhood location

Precise location is a proxy for neighborhood-level risk — some SF blocks have systematically higher DBI activity.

Estimated permit spend (past 7 years)

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

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 70.5%
Moderate concern 17.9%
Severe concern 11.7%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

495 38Th Ave apartment reviews

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The story over time

495 38Th Ave event timeline

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

2026
Electrical Permit Jun 18
Online electrical permit: 60 of buildings of 6 dwelling units or less. replacement of the fire alarm system and installation of low frequency horns in the units. installation of a wireless radio communicator..
Issued
311 RequestFeb 28
Garbage and debris

See all 7 events

Full history back to 2019 — violations, complaints, permits, buyouts, and fire incidents.

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Every record we have

Full data for 495 38Th 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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