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577 21St Ave

Central Richmond, SF 94121 1564015 2 units · 2 fl · 1983

Nothing on record for this building in the last seven years, and our model puts it at a low risk of maintenance problems over the next 12 months. No public enforcement record to go on. Walk the building, ask the current tenants how repairs get handled, and get any promises in writing.

NOVs (7y) vs. neighborhood
Records already on file, against a typical building in Central Richmond — not a forecast
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 577 21St 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 1983
2 or more units
2 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
RH2
Not rent-controlled. Buildings constructed after 1978 are generally exempt from SF rent increase limits under the Costa-Hawkins Act.

Based on SF Assessor records. Not legal advice — confirm with the SF Rent Board.

Statewide backstop · AB 1482

California Tenant Protection Act of 2019

Even when a building isn't covered by local rent stabilization, the statewide Tenant Protection Act (AB 1482) may still apply. It caps annual rent increases and requires the landlord to state a legal reason to end most tenancies.

15+ years since occupancy
Built 1983
Annual rent increase cap
5% + CPI, max 10%
Just-cause eviction
After 12 months
May be covered by AB 1482. The building is old enough for the statewide rent cap (5% + regional CPI, capped at 10% per year) and just-cause protection after 12 months of tenancy.

AB 1482 does not apply to single-family homes and condos unless owned by a corporation, REIT, or an LLC with a corporate member; to owner-occupied duplexes; or to deed-restricted affordable housing. The Act is in effect until January 1, 2030. Not legal advice — see the California landlord–tenant guide.

Building characteristics
Units2
Floors2
Year built1983
Total area3,815 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot1564015
Ownership

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

Owner name
Mailing address
Jimmy Wai Ming Li 144 San Felipe Ave South San Francisco CA 94080
Last sale
June 10, 1999

Landlord portfolio

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

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Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The two-unit residential building at 577 21st Avenue in the Central Richmond neighborhood, built in 1983, has undergone several significant renovations and faced some maintenance challenges over the past decades. Most recently, in January 2025, a substantial re-roofing project valued at $24,000 was permitted. The building has seen multiple window and door upgrades, with a major window replacement project in March 2018 involving front windows, sliding glass doors, and rear windows, though a subsequent permit filed in October 2018 to replace two front windows was cancelled. Earlier improvements included kitchen and bathroom remodeling for both units in 2002, and a complete roof replacement in 2001.

The property has experienced some concerning issues, most notably a rodent/insect infestation reported in February 2018 that was transferred to the Department of Public Health for investigation. There have been recurrent parking enforcement issues in the vicinity, particularly in 2018, with multiple citations issued for sidewalk parking violations. While these incidents primarily involved vehicles from the area rather than residents, they represent a pattern of parking-related concerns in the immediate vicinity of the building. The building's history shows one significant cancellation - a proposed three-story addition in 1990 that did not proceed - and records indicate the site was previously cleared in December 1982 prior to the construction of the existing structure.

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

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Risk rating

How 577 21St 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

Lower risk — safer than most nearby

DBI rarely finds violations here. Strong maintenance history and a clean complaint record.

Typical — about average for the neighborhood

Some past violations or complaints on record. Worth asking the landlord about any open issues before signing.

Higher risk — riskier than most nearby

Elevated violation and complaint history. DBI has found issues here before and is statistically likely to again.

Neighborhood percentile
75thpercentile

Out of 2250 buildings in this neighborhood, 562 are predicted to be safer. The band is relative to this neighborhood, so a share of every neighborhood falls in each colour.

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 size

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

Construction spend, owner's portfolio

Estimated permit value across all of this owner's buildings.

Estimated permit spend (past 7 years)

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

12-Month risk forecast
Low failure risk 12%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

577 21St Ave apartment reviews

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On the map

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The story over time

577 21St Ave event timeline

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

2025
Building Permit Jan 03
Re-roofing with torch down.
$24,000 · Complete

See all 1 events

Full history back to 2025 — violations, complaints, permits, buyouts, and fire incidents.

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Every record we have

Full data for 577 21St Ave apartments

13 SF public datasets for this parcel — permits, violations, complaints, fire records, 311 calls, planning records, and buyouts.

Side by side

How 577 21St Ave compares to the neighborhood

This building against comparable properties in Central Richmond. Toggle filters to narrow the peer group.

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Cancel anytime · Data sourced from SF Open Data, DBI, SFFD, SF Rent Board & Planning

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