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489-495 17Th Ave

Central Richmond, SF 94121 1527021A 4 units · 2 fl · 1917

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 Central Richmond
At or below average
avg 0.5
0
FewerMore

This building has 0 novs (7y), at or below the Central Richmond average of 0.5.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 489-495 17Th 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 1917
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 built1917
Total area4,160 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot1527021A
Ownership

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

Owner name
Frank Fmly Tr 1997
Mailing address
Gary L & Deborah N Frank Tt 226 28Th Ave San Francisco CA 94121
Last sale
042998

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.

491 17th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94121
489 17th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94121
493 17th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94121
495 17th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94121
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The property at 489-495 17th Avenue in the Central Richmond neighborhood is a two-story, four-unit multi-family residential building constructed in 1917 and currently owned by Frank Family Trust 1997. The building has undergone several significant maintenance and safety improvements over the past decades, including a $14,000 reroofing project in 2019, voluntary lateral load improvements at the ground floor in 2011 (costing $15,000), and previous reroofing work completed in 1992. A furnace replacement was also attempted in 2010, though this permit has since expired. The building experienced multiple fire safety-related violations in 2004 and 2010, including issues with fire proofing materials and gas shutoff tool requirements, though all these violations were resolved and officially abated.

More recent history shows ongoing parking enforcement challenges, with numerous complaints about driveway blockage between 2023 and 2024, resulting in several citations. The property has also seen some issues with street maintenance and graffiti in the surrounding area, with open cases reported in December 2024. Regular housing inspections were conducted in 1999, 2004, and 2010, with all identified issues being addressed and the cases marked as not active. The building's maintenance record shows attention to structural and safety concerns, particularly regarding seismic stability and fire safety, though some permits, such as the 2010 furnace replacement, indicate that not all planned improvements may have been successfully completed.

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

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Risk rating

How 489-495 17Th 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
24th percentile

Out of 2250 buildings in this neighborhood, 1710 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
75%
No DBI
violation
25%
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.

Estimated permit spend (past 7 years)

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

Building age

Older buildings tend to have more maintenance challenges; SF's pre-1906 earthquake housing stock carries distinct risk.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 64.9%
Moderate concern 21.1%
Severe concern 14.0%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

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The story over time

489-495 17Th Ave event timeline

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

2025
311 Request Sep 20
Garbage and debris
human waste or urine

See all 2 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 489-495 17Th 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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