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540-542 4Th Ave

Inner Richmond, SF 94118 1546030 2 units · 1 fl · 1904

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 540-542 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 1904
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
Floors1
Year built1904
Total area1,236 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusHome Owners
Blocklot1546030
Ownership

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

Owner name
Samson David
Mailing address
542 4th Ave San Francisco CA 94118
Last sale
021320

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.

540 04th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94118
542 04th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94118
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The property at 540-542 4th Avenue in San Francisco's Inner Richmond neighborhood is a century-old, 2-unit multi-family residential building owned by David Samson. The building has undergone several significant improvements over the years, with the most notable recent upgrades including solar panel installations (2015), electrical system modernization (2015), and sewer line maintenance (2021). The 2015 solar upgrade included the installation of two solar PV systems totaling 4.25 kW across 17 roof-mounted modules, along with infrastructure improvements such as a new main distribution panel, EV charging infrastructure, and updated grounding system. The building's maintenance history shows attention to structural integrity, with important repairs completed in 2000 including reinforcement of the garage structure and foundation work.

Recent issues affecting the property include multiple reports of driveway blocking incidents in late 2023, though these are external parking issues rather than building-related problems. Of particular note are several sewer-related incidents in 2022-2023, including flooding on the property in January 2023. The building experienced construction-related noise complaints in November 2023, with two reports filed within a week of each other. While the building's permit history shows regular maintenance and upgrading of systems, including a re-roofing project in 2015 costing $15,850, the recent sewer incidents and construction noise complaints may indicate potential infrastructure strain or ongoing maintenance activity. The property has no recorded tenant buyouts under the current address, and all permits related to building improvements have been properly completed through official channels.

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

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Risk rating

How 540-542 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
78th percentile

Out of 1723 buildings in this neighborhood, 379 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
88%
No DBI
violation
12%
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 permits, owner's portfolio

Permits pulled across all of this owner's buildings over 7 years.

Estimated permit spend (past 7 years)

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

Owner's portfolio size

Number of SF parcels this owner is registered on — larger portfolios have distinct risk patterns.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 83.2%
Moderate concern 12.9%
Severe concern 3.9%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

540-542 4Th Ave apartment reviews

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The story over time

540-542 4Th Ave event timeline

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

2023
311 Request Aug 09
Parking on sidewalk
White - Subaru suv - 9EFM320

See all 2 events

Full history back to 2021 — violations, complaints, permits, buyouts, and fire incidents.

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Every record we have

Full data for 540-542 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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