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451 Buena Vista Ave

Buena Vista Park/Ashbury Heights, SF 94117 2607062 2 units · 3 fl · 1939

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 Buena Vista Park/Ashbury Heights
At or below average
avg 1.6
0
FewerMore

This building has 0 novs (7y), at or below the Buena Vista Park/Ashbury Heights average of 1.6.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 451 Buena Vista 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 1939
2 or more units
2 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
RH3
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
Floors3
Year built1939
Total area2,391 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot2607062
Ownership

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

Owner name
Kirk Philip John
Mailing address
Kirk Amanda Claire Thomas 451 Buena Vista Ave E San Francisco CA 94117
Last sale
022421

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.

451 Buena Vista Ave East, San Francisco, CA 94117
451 A Buena Vista Ave East, San Francisco, CA 94117
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The two-family residential building at 451 Buena Vista Avenue, owned by Kirk Philip John, was constructed in 1939 and has undergone significant improvements and renovations over recent years. Most notably, between 2018 and 2020, the property underwent substantial modernization including the installation of a comprehensive fire sprinkler system ($27,306), new retaining walls in the rear yard ($25,000), and the addition of skylights ($1,000). The building received major infrastructure upgrades including a 200-amp electrical panel upgrade, whole-house wiring remodel, and the installation of two new boilers and forced air systems. Several plumbing and electrical permits were completed successfully, demonstrating consistent maintenance of building systems.

The property has experienced some resident concerns during its renovation period. In 2020, there were multiple complaints about construction noise, unauthorized plumbing work in the ADU, and excessive lighting affecting urban wildlife. In 2013, the building incurred minor damage from a vehicle collision, leading to multiple notice of violation (NOV) filings, though these were ultimately resolved by late 2014. The building's recent improvements included the addition of a new dwelling unit on the ground floor (not considered an ADU), installation of new rear yard fences, and various facade improvements. Planning records show proper permits were obtained for these enhancements, and the building now meets updated safety and accessibility standards through the installation of modern fire safety systems and infrastructure upgrades.

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

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Risk rating

How 451 Buena Vista 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
44th percentile

Out of 351 buildings in this neighborhood, 197 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
73%
No DBI
violation
27%
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.

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 65.8%
Moderate concern 27.6%
Severe concern 6.7%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

451 Buena Vista Ave apartment reviews

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The story over time

451 Buena Vista Ave event timeline

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

2026
311 Request Jun 16
Blocking driveway cite only
Parking Enforcement
311 RequestMar 08
Other excessive noise

See all 18 events

Full history back to 2019 — violations, complaints, permits, buyouts, and fire incidents.

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Every record we have

Full data for 451 Buena Vista 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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