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4538 Fulton St

Central Richmond, SF 94121 1664023 2 units · 2 fl · 1922

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 Central Richmond
At or below average
avg 0.5
0
FewerMore

This building has 0 novs (7y), at or below the Central Richmond average of 0.5.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 4538 Fulton St 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 1922
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 built1922
Total area3,244 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot1664023
Ownership

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

Owner name
John S & Cissy W Lee 1989 R
Mailing address
John S & Cissy W Lee 275 Ewing Ter San Francisco CA 94118
Last sale
000000

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 4538 Fulton Street in San Francisco's Central Richmond neighborhood is a 2-story flats and duplex structure built in 1922, currently owned by John S & Cissy W Lee 1989 R. The property has undergone several maintenance activities over the years, with the most recent being a reroofing project initiated in July 2024 at a cost of $14,200, which demonstrates ongoing property upkeep. Historical records show previous reroofing work was completed in 1988 and attempted in 2006, while street space permits were obtained in 2013 and 2005.

Of particular note, the property has experienced a recurring issue with street cleaning and garbage management in recent months, with ten reports of overflowing city garbage cans between December 21, 2024, and January 10, 2025, all of which have been resolved. These incidents, though not directly related to the building's structural or safety conditions, may indicate some challenges with waste management practices in the vicinity of the property. The most recent building improvements, including the new roofing work, suggest the owners are investing in maintaining the building's infrastructure, though the timing of these improvements relative to the building's original construction is worth noting.

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

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Risk rating

How 4538 Fulton St'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
44th percentile

Out of 2250 buildings in this neighborhood, 1260 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
85%
No DBI
violation
15%
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.

Construction spend, owner's portfolio

Estimated permit value across all of this owner's buildings.

DBI complaint rate, owner's portfolio

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

Estimated permit spend (past 7 years)

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

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 81.6%
Moderate concern 12.4%
Severe concern 6.0%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
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The story over time

4538 Fulton St event timeline

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

2024
Building Permit Jul 29
Reroofing
$14,200 · Complete

See all 2 events

Full history back to 2023 — violations, complaints, permits, buyouts, and fire incidents.

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Every record we have

Full data for 4538 Fulton St 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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