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1438-1440 19Th Ave

Inner Sunset, SF 94122 1835036 2 units · 2 fl · 1953

This building has far more open problems than almost any other in the neighborhood. A handful of unresolved issues. Worth a careful walk-through and pointed questions.

NOVs (7y) vs. neighborhood
Compared to a typical building in Inner Sunset
Above average
avg 1.1
6
FewerMore

This building has 6 novs (7y), above the Inner Sunset average of 1.1.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 1438-1440 19Th 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 1953
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 built1953
Total area2,546 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot1835036
Ownership

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

Owner name
Lee Eugene Gin-Hung
Mailing address
4150 Ocean Ave San Francisco CA 94132
Last sale
050421

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.

1438 19th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94122
1440 19th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94122
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The two-unit residential building at 1438-1440 19th Avenue in San Francisco's Inner Sunset neighborhood is a two-story flats and duplex structure built in 1953, currently owned by Eugene Gin-hung Lee. The property has undergone several significant maintenance and improvement projects over the years, including a shower stall tile replacement and associated plumbing work in 2009, reroofing in 2006, and a comprehensive electrical service upgrade in 2005 that included adding new outlets, switches, and lights. A noteworthy incident occurred in 2005 when an unpermitted powder room installation led to a violation that was subsequently resolved within three months, and the building was modified to convert an existing closet into a toilet room on both the second and third floors. More recent concerns emerged in late 2022, when tenants reported issues with an inoperable heater and leaking kitchen sink, though these complaints are no longer active.

The property has experienced various infrastructure and maintenance issues over the years, most of which have been addressed through appropriate permits and inspections. Recent records from 2023-2024 show several parking-related complaints, including multiple instances of driveway blocking, along with some street maintenance concerns such as pavement defects. The building has also faced minor external issues like graffiti in 2020 and illegal postings in 2024. A general environmental health complaint was filed in May 2022, which was transferred to the Department of Public Health for investigation. The property's maintenance history suggests regular upkeep, with most significant repairs and improvements being properly permitted, though some historical compliance concerns were noted regarding unpermitted modifications.

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

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Risk rating

How 1438-1440 19Th 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
9th percentile

Out of 1493 buildings in this neighborhood, 1359 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
48%
No DBI
violation
52%
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.

Permit rate, owner's portfolio

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

DBI complaints, owner's portfolio

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

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 49.8%
Moderate concern 39.0%
Severe concern 11.2%
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

1438-1440 19Th Ave event timeline

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

2025
Fire Complaint Sep 22
Blocked Exits
No Merit
Building Violation (NOV)Sep 10
Building violation

See all 9 events

Full history back to 2022 — violations, complaints, permits, buyouts, and fire incidents.

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Every record we have

Full data for 1438-1440 19Th 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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