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640-644 9Th Ave

Inner Richmond, SF 94118 1636022 3 units · 3 fl · 1911

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 Inner Richmond
Above average
avg 0.9
5
FewerMore

This building has 5 novs (7y), above the Inner Richmond average of 0.9.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 640-644 9Th 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 1911
2 or more units
3 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
Units3
Floors3
Year built1911
Total area4,350 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot1636022
Ownership

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

Owner name
Doretta G Lee Revoc Tr 2008
Mailing address
Richard A. Lee 3424 Quintara St San Francisco CA 94116
Last sale
082196

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.

642 09th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94118
640 09th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94118
644 09th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94118
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The three-story, multi-family residential building at 640-644 9th Avenue in the Inner Richmond, built in 1911 and currently owned by the Doretta G Lee Revocable Trust 2008, has experienced several significant safety-related issues in recent years. Most notably, in 2020-2021, the building faced serious concerns regarding its rear stairs, which were reported as dilapidated, unsafe, and in danger of collapse, creating a critical egress problem. These stairs were subsequently red-tagged by the Department of Building Inspection (DBI) in December 2020, leading to a $50,000 emergency construction project completed in early 2021 to replace the unsafe stairs, which were identified as a required secondary exit for the apartments. During this period, the property also received several building violations, including issues with lead paint hazards, requiring removal or covering of damaged paint to prevent potential health risks.

The building's history shows other maintenance challenges, including a water heater burst in 2008 that caused significant water damage to multiple units, though this was resolved within several months. Earlier issues from the 1980s and 1990s included cracked marble steps and reroofing work, though these are now considered historical. The property experienced some exterior maintenance issues, with multiple reports of graffiti in 2014 and concerns about tree root damage to the sidewalk in 2012, though these were not directly related to building safety. A routine housing inspection in 2010 and various public works calls have been documented, but the most pressing recent concerns have centered around the rear stair safety issues from 2020-2021. While these problems were ultimately addressed through the 2021 construction work and subsequent fire escape corrections completed by December 2021, the events highlight past challenges with building maintenance and safety systems.

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

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Risk rating

How 640-644 9Th 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
28th percentile

Out of 1723 buildings in this neighborhood, 1241 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
75%
No DBI
violation
25%
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.

DBI complaint rate, owner's portfolio

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

NOV rate, owner's portfolio

Per-building NOV rate across everything this owner manages — high rates signal pattern neglect.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 53.8%
Moderate concern 37.9%
Severe concern 8.3%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

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The story over time

640-644 9Th Ave event timeline

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

2026
DBI Complaint May 13
Hole in the bathroom ceiling , caller thinks there might be asbestos
Housing Inspection Services

See all 11 events

Full history back to 2020 — violations, complaints, permits, buyouts, and fire incidents.

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Every record we have

Full data for 640-644 9Th 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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