519-521 26th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94121

The property at 519-521 26th Avenue in the Central Richmond neighborhood is a two-unit, two-story multi-family residential building constructed in 1923, currently owned by Chan Siu Wan. The building has a concerning safety record, with multiple fire safety issues documented between 2014 and 2023, including several incidents of blocked exits, an overcrowded assembly space in 2018, and problems with alarm systems in 2007 and 2019. A notable incident occurred in 2023 when emergency services were called to address blocked exits, though this was ultimately deemed to have no merit.

The building's history reveals past compliance issues, with illegal unit conversions noted in 1995, though these complaints were officially abated in 2012. Several building permits from the 1990s show attempts to address storage area violations, and there were withdrawn and cancelled permits in 1989 and 1991 relating to proposed remodels for additional living spaces, including a new bathroom, family room, and pool room. Recent activity around the property has primarily consisted of street-level maintenance and parking-related issues, including multiple reports of abandoned vehicles and garbage debris that were resolved by city services throughout 2024.

The building has undergone several street space permit applications, with the most recent issued in 2018. While the majority of recent complaints have been external to the building itself, the documented history of fire safety concerns and historical illegal unit issues suggest attention to building safety and compliance matters has been occasionally reactive rather than proactive. The most recent tenant buyouts recorded in the vicinity occurred in 2021 at a nearby address (505 26th Avenue), with amounts of $15,000 and $25,000 for one tenant each, though this is not directly related to the current building's occupancy status.