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1531-1539 Taraval St

Parkside, SF 94116 2400049 12 units · 3 fl · 1988

This building has far more open problems than almost any other in the neighborhood. Renters here report frequent, slow-to-fix problems. Get repair promises in writing and check the unit before signing.

NOVs (7y) vs. neighborhood
Compared to a typical building in Parkside
Above average
avg 0.8
1
FewerMore

This building has 1 novs (7y), above the Parkside average of 0.8.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 1531-1539 Taraval 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 1988
2 or more units
12 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
NC2
Not rent-controlled. Buildings constructed after 1978 are generally exempt from SF rent increase limits under the Costa-Hawkins Act.

Based on SF Assessor records. Not legal advice — confirm with the SF Rent Board.

Building characteristics
Units12
Floors3
Year built1988
Total area13,480 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot2400049
Ownership

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

Owner name
Martin A Gaehwiler Jr Tr
Mailing address
Gaehwiler Martin A Jr Ttee 1550 Michigan St San Francisco CA 94124
Last sale
080618

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.

1535 Taraval St, San Francisco, CA 94116
1531 Taraval St, San Francisco, CA 94116
1533 Taraval St, San Francisco, CA 94116
1539 Taraval St, San Francisco, CA 94116
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The three-story, 12-unit multi-family residential building at 1531-1539 Taraval Street, owned by Martin A Gaehwiler Jr Tr, was constructed in 1988 and has a documented history of both maintenance and compliance issues. Most recently, in 2024, the property underwent a controversial conversion of retail space to an arcade store with approximately 20 machines, leading to multiple building complaints and a Notice of Violation in June 2024 for unpermitted changes - though this was eventually resolved with proper permits in 2024-2025. The building has a documented pattern of fire safety concerns, including multiple violations and complaints between 2011-2020 regarding alarm systems and extinguishers, with the most recent fire alarm system replacement occurring in 2020 at a cost of $6,096. Unit 302 received significant renovations in 2018, including kitchen remodeling and electrical updates totaling $30,000, while the building's roof was replaced in 2004 at a cost of $16,380.

The property has undergone regular inspections, including multiple routine housing inspections between 1999-2011, and has received various violation notices requiring corrections. Of particular note is a noise complaint from 2012 regarding excessive sound transmission between units, raising potential concerns about sound insulation. The building's surrounding area has experienced recurring issues with garbage and debris, as evidenced by numerous 311 calls in late 2024 and early 2025, though these are not directly related to the building's structural or safety conditions. Historical records indicate three tenant buyouts at nearby addresses between 2015-2016, suggesting some tenant turnover in the vicinity, though none at the subject property directly.

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

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Risk rating

How 1531-1539 Taraval 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
5th percentile

Out of 255 buildings in this neighborhood, 242 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
29%
No DBI
violation
71%
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.

Building size

Total floor area — a proxy for building scale and the number of systems (plumbing, electrical, HVAC) that can fail.

Number of units

The number of units affects how the model reads complaint and violation totals — more units means more potential sources.

Property class: mixed-use w/ SFR

Mixed-use property including a single-family residential component.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 32.0%
Moderate concern 49.0%
Severe concern 19.0%
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

1531-1539 Taraval St event timeline

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

2026
DBI Complaint Jun 18
Date last observed: 01-jun-26; time last observed: 1pm; floor: 2; exact location: main bldg; building type: commercial/business disabled acc: elevator/lift; ; additional information: elevator to dentist of has been out of other for over 6 months ;
Disabled Access Division

See all 13 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 1531-1539 Taraval 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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