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638 3Rd Ave

Inner Richmond, SF 94118 1642041 2 units · 2 fl · 1905

This building has a higher-than-average number of open problems nearby. 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 638 3Rd 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 1905
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 built1905
Total area3,016 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot1642041
Ownership

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

Owner name
Happy House Llc
Mailing address
638 3rd Ave San Francisco CA 94118
Last sale
050500

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 638 3rd Avenue in San Francisco's Inner Richmond district is a two-story flats and duplex structure built in 1905, currently owned by Happy House LLC. The property's documented history shows several significant maintenance and improvement projects over the past four decades. Most notably, there was a kitchen and bathroom remodel in the upstairs unit completed in 1999, and in 1993, important structural work was undertaken including foundation underpinning and garage modifications. Earlier records from 1993-1992 show attempts to enlarge the garage opening and driveway, and a reroofing project, though the permits for these particular works expired without completion.

The building's incident and complaint history is relatively minimal, with only one recorded 311 call in April 2022 regarding a driveway blocking situation involving a Toyota Highlander, which was resolved through parking enforcement. There have been no reported fire incidents at the property, and the only fire department response was for a public service situation with no civilian injuries recorded. While the building is quite old by San Francisco standards, the documented improvements and maintenance history suggests regular upkeep over the years, though some permitted work appears to have been left incomplete.

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

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Risk rating

How 638 3Rd 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
62th percentile

Out of 1723 buildings in this neighborhood, 655 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
87%
No DBI
violation
13%
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.

Estimated permit spend (past 7 years)

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

Building permits, owner's portfolio

Permits pulled across all of this owner's buildings over 7 years.

Building age

Older buildings tend to have more maintenance challenges; SF's pre-1906 earthquake housing stock carries distinct risk.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 83.4%
Moderate concern 11.3%
Severe concern 5.4%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

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The story over time

638 3Rd Ave event timeline

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

2026
Plumbing Permit Jan 21
Work category: 1p; south side lightwell replace 4" vertical waste pipe
Complete

See all 4 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 638 3Rd 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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