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478-480 4Th Ave

Inner Richmond, SF 94118 1541027 2 units · 2 fl · 1908

This building has a higher-than-average number of open problems nearby. Few open issues; problems get fixed quickly. A reasonable bet for a smooth tenancy.

NOVs (7y) vs. neighborhood
Compared to a typical building in Inner Richmond
At or below average
avg 0.9
0
FewerMore

This building has 0 novs (7y), at or below the Inner Richmond average of 0.9.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 478-480 4Th 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 1908
2 or more units
2 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.

Building characteristics
Units2
Floors2
Year built1908
Total area2,200 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusHome Owners
Blocklot1541027
Ownership

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

Owner name
Ringard Matthew
Mailing address
478 4th Ave San Francisco CA 94118
Last sale
041613

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.

480 04th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94118
478 04th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94118
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The two-unit, two-story multi-family residential building at 478-480 4th Avenue in San Francisco's Inner Richmond neighborhood, owned by Matthew Ringard, has been undergoing significant renovations and maintenance since 2022. The most recent work includes bathroom remodeling and plumbing updates in May 2024, featuring a walk-in shower installation, water heater replacement, and associated electrical work. In 2022, the property received substantial structural attention with the complete replacement of rear stairs and installation of new foundations, which cost $18,000. The building has seen several permit applications in the past year, including an attempted addition of a Costco shed in April 2024 and a controversial application for laundry room strengthening in January 2023, both of which were withdrawn.

The property has a history of addressing maintenance and safety concerns, including a plumbing violation in 2019 related to fresh air inlet issues, which was resolved by June 2021. Recent activity includes a building complaint filed in August 2024 regarding unauthorized construction, though this case was marked as not active by August 21, 2024. The building's maintenance record shows attention to basic infrastructure needs, including a roof replacement in 2006 and historical work from 1990 involving restucco and bannister repairs. The property has experienced various neighborhood issues documented through 311 calls between 2012 and 2019, primarily related to sidewalk conditions and waste management, though these are more indicative of neighborhood issues rather than building-specific concerns.

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

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Risk rating

How 478-480 4Th 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
99th percentile

Out of 1723 buildings in this neighborhood, 17 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
95%
No DBI
violation
5%
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.

Building age

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

Estimated permit spend (past 7 years)

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

Notices of Violation, owner's portfolio

DBI NOVs across all buildings this owner is registered on — a signal of systemic maintenance issues across the portfolio.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 87.5%
Moderate concern 10.2%
Severe concern 2.3%
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

478-480 4Th Ave event timeline

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

2024
DBI Complaint Aug 05
Caller reporting neighbors are building without permits, they know they were denied a permit but built anyway. they are continuing to build a structure in there backyard and it's going on two stories. (311 sr 101000485877)
Building Inspection Division
Plumbing PermitMay 20
Replacing 40 gallon water heater in garage and replacing plumbing in bathroom

See all 11 events

Full history back to 2022 — violations, complaints, permits, buyouts, and fire incidents.

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Every record we have

Full data for 478-480 4Th 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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