538-542 Castro St
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.
This building has 1 novs (7y), at or below the Eureka Valley/Dolores Heights average of 1.3.
Is 538-542 Castro 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.
Based on SF Assessor records. Not legal advice — confirm with the SF Rent Board.
| Units | 4 |
|---|---|
| Floors | 3 |
| Year built | 1905 |
| Total area | — |
| Property type | Multi-Family Residential |
| Tax status | None |
| Blocklot | 2695006 |
Registered owner per SF Assessor-Recorder (secured roll).
Landlord portfolio
Other SF properties this owner holds, with risk grades for each.
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All street addresses sharing this blocklot that are covered by this report.
The 538-542 Castro Street property is a three-story, four-unit mixed-use building constructed in 1905, currently owned by 538-542 Castro Street LLC. The building has undergone several significant renovations in recent years, including a complete kitchen remodel in 2019 with associated plumbing and electrical work, reroofing in 2019, and more recently, the installation of an ADA automatic door opener in March 2023. The property has experienced recurring issues with its commercial space, particularly a period of vacancy that prompted a violation notice in May 2022 for not complying with the Vacant or Abandoned Commercial Storefront Ordinance, though this was abated in July 2022. Historical maintenance records show attention to basic upkeep, including sewer line and house trap replacement in 2009, and various other improvements to both residential and commercial spaces.
How 538-542 Castro 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.
Out of 1278 buildings in this neighborhood, 1189 are predicted to be safer.
violation
likely
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.
538-542 Castro St apartment reviews
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538-542 Castro St event timeline
Violations, complaints, fire incidents, permits, and buyouts — most recent records in order.
See all 10 events
Full history back to 2019 — violations, complaints, permits, buyouts, and fire incidents.
Unlock complete timelineFull data for 538-542 Castro St apartments
13 SF public datasets for this parcel — permits, violations, complaints, fire records, 311 calls, planning records, and buyouts.
What this is
Permits issued by the SF Department of Building Inspection for new construction, alterations, and repairs. Includes estimated cost and current permit status.
| Permit # | Description | Cost | Filed | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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What this is
Plumbing permit applications filed with the SF Department of Building Inspection. Covers plumbing installation, repair, and replacement work.
| Permit # | Description | Filed | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
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What this is
Electrical permit applications filed with the SF Department of Building Inspection. Covers electrical wiring, panel upgrades, and related work.
| Permit # | Description | Filed | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
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What this is
Notices of Violation issued by the SF Department of Building Inspection for code violations. Unresolved notices can escalate to legal action.
| Date Filed | Complaint # | Description | Item | Category | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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What this is
Complaints filed with the SF Department of Building Inspection about code violations. Tracks the complaint lifecycle from filing through abatement or referral.
| Complaint # | Date Filed | Date Abated | Division | Status | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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What this is
Planning Department project entitlements — discretionary review, conditional use, variances, and environmental review for this parcel.
| Address | Opened | Closed | Status | Description | Applicant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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What this is
Planning Department administrative and compliance records that are not full project entitlements — pre-application meetings, code violations, and referrals.
| Address | Opened | Closed | Status | Description | Applicant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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What this is
SFFD fire incidents geo-joined to this parcel. Covers structure fires, alarms, and emergency responses with injury and fatality counts.
| Date | Situation | Civilian Injuries | Civilian Fatalities |
|---|---|---|---|
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What this is
Fire code violations issued by the SFFD. Tracks corrective actions required and resolution status for fire safety code enforcement.
| Violation Date | Description | Corrective Action | Status | Close Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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What this is
Fire code complaints received by the SF Fire Department geo-joined to this parcel. Includes complaint type, disposition, and outcome.
| Received | Description | Disposition Date | Disposition |
|---|---|---|---|
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What this is
SF 311 service requests geo-joined to this parcel. Includes maintenance complaints, street/sidewalk issues, and quality-of-life requests.
| Opened | Type | Agency | Category | Details | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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What this is
Buildings subject to SF's mandatory soft-story seismic retrofit program. Unreinforced multi-story wood-frame buildings must meet compliance tiers.
| Tier | Status |
|---|---|
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What this is
Tenant buyout (Ellis Act pre-cursor) agreements recorded with the SF Rent Board. Tracks amounts paid to tenants to vacate rent-controlled units.
| Disclosure Date | Buyout Date | Amount | Tenants |
|---|---|---|---|
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