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1559 Masonic Ave

Buena Vista Park/Ashbury Heights, SF 94117 2617A003 2 units · 2 fl · 1907

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 1559 Masonic 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 1907
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 built1907
Total area2,160 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot2617A003
Ownership

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

Owner name
Robert A & Marjorie H Kapla
Mailing address
124 Camino Don Miguel Orinda CA 94563
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 1559 Masonic Avenue in the Buena Vista Park neighborhood is a two-story flats and duplex structure built in 1907, currently owned by Robert A. and Marjorie H. Kapla. The property has undergone several significant maintenance and repair projects over the past decades, with the most recent being a re-roofing project in 2000 costing approximately $9,680. Historical maintenance records reveal persistent issues with dry rot, particularly in 1997 when repairs were made to the upper rear door, windows, walls, and staircase, following an earlier dry rot repair in September of the same year. The building's exterior features were maintained with two decking replacement projects completed in 1990-1991, and the concrete driveway was replaced in 1983. The property records also show use as a dwelling was confirmed in 1982.

In recent months, particularly throughout 2023-2024, the property has experienced recurring issues with abandoned vehicles in the vicinity, with seven reports between January and December 2024, though most were resolved quickly with vehicles either being towed or found to be not abandoned. There were also two parking enforcement calls in December 2023, one for sidewalk parking that could not be validated and another for driveway blocking that resulted in a citation. A report of garbage and debris, including a mattress, was recorded in October 2024, which required police involvement for resolution, though this was on private property rather than directly related to the building itself. It is noteworthy that while the building's structural and systems maintenance appears to have been addressed appropriately in previous decades, there are no recent records of major building renovations or improvements on file, and the majority of recent incidents reported are related to street parking and abandoned vehicles rather than building-specific issues.

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

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Risk rating

How 1559 Masonic 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
71th percentile

Out of 351 buildings in this neighborhood, 102 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
84%
No DBI
violation
16%
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 age

Older buildings tend to have more maintenance challenges; SF's pre-1906 earthquake housing stock carries distinct risk.

Estimated permit spend (past 7 years)

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

Building permits, owner's portfolio

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

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 80.3%
Moderate concern 13.4%
Severe concern 6.4%
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

1559 Masonic Ave event timeline

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

2023
311 Request Mar 09
Abandoned vehicles
DPT Abandoned Vehicles Low
311 RequestMar 03
Abandoned vehicles

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 1559 Masonic Ave apartments

13 SF public datasets for this parcel — permits, violations, complaints, fire records, 311 calls, planning records, and buyouts.

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