795 20th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94121

The 795 20th Avenue property is a two-story, three-unit multi-family residential building constructed in 1923, with a notably contentious history regarding unit legality and habitability issues. The building has been in the spotlight for multiple code enforcement actions, most significantly in 2011 when it was cited for operating as an illegal hotel with 17 guest rooms, a violation that required substantial remedial work costing $2,500 to revert back to its legal three-unit configuration. More recently, there have been three separate complaints between 2020 and 2023 alleging the presence of illegal units or additional unauthorized bedrooms, with one complaint in 2023 reporting "at least 9 rooms being rented out on the top floor." The property has experienced recurring maintenance and habitability issues, particularly during 2016-2019, including multiple violations related to heating systems, security concerns (such as a damaged entry door), plumbing problems (sink repairs needed), and building safety issues including mold and defective flues/vents.

Tenants reported various quality-of-life concerns including inadequate heating, moisture problems leading to mold, and bathroom privacy issues. A significant number of building permits were processed, most recently in 2022 for final inspections related to previous violation remediation, and in 2017 for repairs to address dry rot in external structures. Recent Planning Records show ongoing concerns about unauthorized units, with applications to remove an illegal unit (UDU) from unit 795A, citing structural modifications required for proper legalization.

The most recent building complaints indicate continued regulatory scrutiny, with one record noting eight different leased rooms occupied by ten people total, under a master lease arrangement. While the building has experienced some fire-related incidents, these were primarily related to system malfunctions and lockout situations with no civilian injuries reported. The property has also generated numerous 311 calls in recent months, mostly regarding street cleaning and parking issues, though these are not directly related to building conditions.