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524-526 38Th Ave

Outer Richmond, SF 94121 1507031 3 units · 1 fl · 1952

Nothing on record for this building in the last seven years, and our model puts it at a low risk of maintenance problems over the next 12 months. No public enforcement record to go on. Walk the building, ask the current tenants how repairs get handled, and get any promises in writing.

NOVs (7y) vs. neighborhood
Records already on file, against a typical building in Outer Richmond — not a forecast
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 524-526 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 1952
2 or more units
3 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
RH2
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.

Statewide backstop · AB 1482

California Tenant Protection Act of 2019

Even when a building isn't covered by local rent stabilization, the statewide Tenant Protection Act (AB 1482) may still apply. It caps annual rent increases and requires the landlord to state a legal reason to end most tenancies.

15+ years since occupancy
Built 1952
Annual rent increase cap
5% + CPI, max 10%
Just-cause eviction
After 12 months
Local rent control likely takes priority. This building appears to fall under the local ordinance above, which is stronger than AB 1482. Where a local just-cause ordinance applies, its rules govern instead of the state cap.

AB 1482 does not apply to single-family homes and condos unless owned by a corporation, REIT, or an LLC with a corporate member; to owner-occupied duplexes; or to deed-restricted affordable housing. The Act is in effect until January 1, 2030. Not legal advice — see the California landlord–tenant guide.

Building characteristics
Units3
Floors1
Year built1952
Total area2,431 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot1507031
Ownership

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

Mailing address
270 Lake Dr San Bruno CA 94066
Last sale
April 30, 1996

Landlord portfolio

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

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Multiple entrances & addresses

Included addresses

All street addresses sharing this blocklot that are covered by this report.

526 38th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94121
524 38th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94121
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The three-unit, single-story multi-family residential building at 524-526 38th Avenue in San Francisco's Outer Richmond neighborhood has been owned by Zhong Bin and Feng Ming Tan since its construction in 1952. The building has a documented history of both routine and construction-related inspections, with a routine housing inspection occurring in May 2000 (which was resolved within days) and ongoing remodeling work involving electrical and plumbing systems that began in August 1995 and remains active as of the latest records.

In recent years, the property has experienced a notable pattern of driveway accessibility issues, with multiple reports of vehicles blocking driveways. Between 2022 and 2023 alone, there were at least eight documented incidents requiring parking enforcement, resulting in several citations being issued, though some cases resulted in officers being unable to locate the offending vehicles. The building's surroundings have required regular attention to street cleanliness, with three reports of loose garbage requiring Department of Public Works intervention in 2020, 2022, and most recently in January 2023. While these maintenance and parking issues have been consistently addressed by city services, they suggest ongoing challenges with parking management and waste disposal in the immediate vicinity of the building.

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

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Risk rating

How 524-526 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

Lower risk — safer than most nearby

DBI rarely finds violations here. Strong maintenance history and a clean complaint record.

Typical — about average for the neighborhood

Some past violations or complaints on record. Worth asking the landlord about any open issues before signing.

Higher risk — riskier than most nearby

Elevated violation and complaint history. DBI has found issues here before and is statistically likely to again.

Neighborhood percentile
30thpercentile

Out of 1040 buildings in this neighborhood, 728 are predicted to be safer. The band is relative to this neighborhood, so a share of every neighborhood falls in each colour.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
79%
No DBI
violation
21%
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.

Neighborhood location

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

Construction spend, owner's portfolio

Estimated permit value across all of this owner's buildings.

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 risk forecast
Low failure risk 21%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

524-526 38Th Ave apartment reviews

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On the map

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The story over time

524-526 38Th Ave event timeline

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

No dated public records on file yet.
Every record we have

Full data for 524-526 38Th Ave apartments

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

Side by side

How 524-526 38Th Ave compares to the neighborhood

This building against comparable properties in Outer Richmond. Toggle filters to narrow the peer group.

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Cancel anytime · Data sourced from SF Open Data, DBI, SFFD, SF Rent Board & Planning

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