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671 38Th Ave

Outer Richmond, SF 94121 1581007C 2 units · 2 fl · 1924

This building has more problems than most buildings in this neighborhood. Few open issues; problems get fixed quickly. A reasonable bet for a smooth tenancy.

NOVs (7y) vs. neighborhood
Compared to a typical building in Outer Richmond
Above average
avg 0.7
1
FewerMore

This building has 1 novs (7y), above the Outer Richmond average of 0.7.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 671 38Th 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 1924
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 built1924
Total area2,566 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusHome Owners
Blocklot1581007C
Ownership

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

Owner name
Tam David P N & Eve W C
Mailing address
671 38th Ave San Francisco CA 94121
Last sale
073106

Landlord portfolio

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

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Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The two-unit residential building at 671 38th Avenue, located in San Francisco's Outer Richmond neighborhood, has undergone several significant modifications since its construction in 1924. The property has a documented history of expansion and alteration, including a completed vertical addition in 1990 and a horizontal extension adding two bedrooms at the rear in 1985. Most concerning is an active building violation issued in April 2024, following a complaint in March 2024, regarding unauthorized modifications including a concrete block wall in the rear yard, enclosure of a lightwell with skylights, and the installation of a wet bar under the rear deck, among other changes. These unauthorized modifications prompted the issuance of a building permit in September 2024, valued at $15,000, to remove the concrete block wall, restore the lightwell, and remove the wet bar, among other compliance requirements.

The property has generated multiple 311 calls and complaints in recent years, including numerous reports of parking violations related to blocked driveways between late 2023 and 2024, as well as noise complaints during construction work in March 2024. A garbage and debris complaint was resolved in January 2025, and there was one fire complaint in January 2021 that was promptly corrected. The building's recent history suggests ongoing construction activity and multiple compliance issues, particularly regarding parking management in the vicinity, as evidenced by the ten parking-related complaints within a one-year period.

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

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Risk rating

How 671 38Th 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
22th percentile

Out of 1040 buildings in this neighborhood, 811 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
71%
No DBI
violation
29%
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.

DBI tenant complaints (past 7 years)

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

Neighborhood location

Precise location is a proxy for neighborhood-level risk — some SF blocks have systematically higher DBI activity.

Permit rate, owner's portfolio

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

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 65.1%
Moderate concern 28.5%
Severe concern 6.4%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

671 38Th Ave apartment reviews

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The story over time

671 38Th Ave event timeline

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

2026
Building Permit Jan 21
Recommencement and completion of work approved undre pa# 202409241524.
$10,000 · Issued

See all 7 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 671 38Th 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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