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523 5Th Ave

Inner Richmond, SF 94118 1548006 6 units · 2 fl · 1963

This building has significantly more problems than most nearby buildings. 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 523 5Th 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 1963
2 or more units
6 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
RH3
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
Units6
Floors2
Year built1963
Total area4,320 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusHome Owners
Blocklot1548006
Ownership

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

Owner name
Kwok/Wan Family Trust
Mailing address
Chu Ming Kwok & Fanny Manka 846 40Th Ave San Francisco CA 94121
Last sale
050901

Landlord portfolio

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

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Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The property at 523 5th Avenue is a 6-unit, 2-story multi-family residential building constructed in 1963, currently owned by the Kwok/wan Family Trust. The building has undergone several significant improvements over the years, most notably completing mandatory soft-story retrofitting in 2014 at a cost of $30,000, which included the installation of a grounding electrode system. The building's safety history shows notable concerns in 2004 when multiple violations were recorded regarding emergency exits, smoke detectors, fire safety equipment, and sprinkler systems, all of which were abated by September 2004. In 2006, there were issues with mold and rodent infestation in Unit #1 and lobby maintenance concerns, though these were resolved by 2007.

The most recent complaint from February 2024 indicates problems with heating and ventilation in the building. Historical records show recurring soft-story compliance issues in 2014, which prompted several enforcement actions, though these matters were ultimately resolved once the retrofit work was completed and the Certificate of Final Completion was issued. The building has undergone routine safety inspections over the years, with the last documented one in 2015. Outside the building's structural and safety matters, there have been multiple parking enforcement issues documented through 311 calls between 2018 and 2023, primarily concerning vehicles parked on sidewalks, though these are not directly related to building conditions. The property has maintained compliance with major safety requirements since completing the soft-story retrofit program, support, and other significant improvements.

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

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Risk rating

How 523 5Th 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
15th percentile

Out of 1723 buildings in this neighborhood, 1465 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
62%
No DBI
violation
38%
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.

DBI tenant complaints (past 7 years)

Formal complaints tenants filed with DBI about this building over 7 years.

Permit rate, owner's portfolio

Per-building permit rate across the owner's portfolio.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 60.5%
Moderate concern 28.1%
Severe concern 11.4%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

523 5Th Ave apartment reviews

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The story over time

523 5Th Ave event timeline

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

2024
DBI Complaint Feb 08
No heat no ventilation.
Housing Inspection Services

See all 1 events

Full history back to 2024 — violations, complaints, permits, buyouts, and fire incidents.

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Every record we have

Full data for 523 5Th 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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