691-697 18th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94121

The 4-unit, 2-story multi-family residential building at 691-697 18th Avenue in the Central Richmond neighborhood, owned by William W & Michelle Ho, was constructed in 1922 and has experienced numerous maintenance and safety concerns over the past several decades. Most notably, there is currently an active emergency issue as of December 2024 regarding a cornice that fell from the roof eave on the Cabrillo Street side. The building has a concerning pattern of fire safety violations, with the most recent citations in late 2024 for fire extinguisher maintenance, alarm system upkeep, and emergency evacuation plans.

Previous violations between 2022-2023 were addressed regarding storage, sprinkler obstructions, and emergency lighting. The property has undergone multiple routine inspections, with significant citations in 2002-2003 for various issues including security requirements (self-closing devices and deadlatch locks), fire proofing, stairs repair, and egress obstruction removal, all of which were abated by December 2002. In more recent years, the building has experienced several safety-related incidents, including multiple fire code violations between 2019-2024, with the most recent being November 2024.

There was also an incident of unauthorized interior construction in June 2021 that generated noise complaints. The property has been the subject of numerous 311 calls in 2024, primarily relating to garbage and debris issues, though these appear to be external to the building itself. A routine housing inspection in 2010 and various fire safety inspections throughout the years indicate ongoing monitoring of the property's condition by city authorities. While some historical violations have been properly addressed, the recent security and fire safety concerns, particularly the active cornice issue, suggest continued maintenance challenges.