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438 15Th Ave

Central Richmond, SF 94118 1530034 24 units · 3 fl · 1965

This building has far more open problems than almost any other in the neighborhood. Renters here report frequent, slow-to-fix problems. Get repair promises in writing and check the unit before signing.

NOVs (7y) vs. neighborhood
Compared to a typical building in Central Richmond
Above average
avg 0.5
10
FewerMore

This building has 10 novs (7y), above the Central Richmond average of 0.5.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 438 15Th 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 1965
2 or more units
24 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
Units24
Floors3
Year built1965
Total area18,870 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot1530034
Ownership

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

Owner name
Chin Radbert & Diana Y
Mailing address
99 27th Ave San Francisco CA 94121
Last sale
102314

Landlord portfolio

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

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Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The 24-unit, three-story multi-family residential building at 438 15th Ave, owned by Chin Radbert & Diana Y, was constructed in 1965 and has undergone several significant safety improvements over the years. Most recently, in 2023, the building received a comprehensive fire alarm system upgrade ($55,400) to meet current fire code requirements, including the installation of low-frequency sounders in sleeping areas and an upgraded fire panel. The building has completed mandatory seismic improvements, including a soft-story retrofit in 2016 ($65,000) and seismic bracing upgrades in 1988, demonstrating compliance with San Francisco's safety regulations.

The property has had several safety-related incidents and violations that have been addressed over time. In 2022, the building experienced multiple fire safety violations including missing smoke detectors, egress obstructions, and fire extinguisher issues, all of which were abated by September 2022. There was also a recent complaint in October 2023 regarding lead paint containment during maintenance work, which was resolved by December 2023. The building has a history of false fire alarms and system malfunctions, though the most recent fire alarm-related complaints in 2023 and 2024 were either found to have no merit or were corrected. Regular maintenance and safety checks have been performed as evidenced by multiple building permits and completed violation rectifications, including a reroofing project from 1996. The property has undergone routine inspections over the years, with the most recent fire safety improvements indicating active management of building safety compliance.

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

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Risk rating

How 438 15Th 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
0th percentile

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

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
16%
No DBI
violation
84%
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 size

Total floor area — a proxy for building scale and the number of systems (plumbing, electrical, HVAC) that can fail.

NOV rate, owner's portfolio

Per-building NOV rate across everything this owner manages — high rates signal pattern neglect.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 13.4%
Moderate concern 65.0%
Severe concern 21.6%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

438 15Th Ave apartment reviews

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The story over time

438 15Th Ave event timeline

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

2026
311 Request May 08
Garbage and debris
furniture
311 RequestFeb 09
Garbage and debris

See all 20 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 438 15Th 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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