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3953-3955 21St St

Eureka Valley/Dolores Heights, SF 94114 2770026 2 units · 2 fl · 1922

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 Eureka Valley/Dolores Heights
At or below average
avg 1.3
0
FewerMore

This building has 0 novs (7y), at or below the Eureka Valley/Dolores Heights average of 1.3.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 3953-3955 21St 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 1922
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 built1922
Total area1,720 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusHome Owners
Blocklot2770026
Ownership

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

Owner name
Chao Joseph
Mailing address
Akazawa Stacy 3953 21St St San Francisco CA 94114
Last sale
120220

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.

3953 21st St, San Francisco, CA 94114
3955 21st St, San Francisco, CA 94114
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The two-unit residential building at 3953-3955 21st Street, owned by Joseph Chao, has experienced several significant maintenance and safety events since its construction in 1922, with the most concerning issues emerging in recent years. Most notably, in April 2019, a building complaint was filed regarding water intrusion, pests, and potential mold issues in the main building, though this complaint is currently listed as not active. The building underwent substantial infrastructure improvements between 2021-2022, including a sewer lateral and house trap replacement, as well as sewer repair work, suggesting ongoing efforts to maintain essential systems. Electrical safety was addressed in 2005 with a service upgrade to 125 amps, though this improvement was completed nearly two decades ago.

The property has experienced some fire department activity, with two unintentional fire alarm system activations recorded, though neither incident resulted in civilian injuries or actual fires. Recent maintenance issues have emerged, with a plumbing-related 311 call logged in November 2024. The building's surroundings have been the subject of multiple 311 calls regarding illegal parking and various street maintenance issues, including reports of human waste or debris in January 2025 and tree maintenance needs (pruning request) from May 2024. Historical permits show other maintenance work performed on the building, including roof replacement in 1992 and front steps repairs in 1985, though these records are now quite dated. While the property has received various complaints and service requests over the years, the most significant recent concerns appear to be related to plumbing maintenance, with multiple 311 calls about illegal parking and street cleaning issues in the immediate vicinity.

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

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Risk rating

How 3953-3955 21St 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
71th percentile

Out of 1278 buildings in this neighborhood, 371 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
83%
No DBI
violation
17%
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.

Neighborhood location

Precise location is a proxy for neighborhood-level risk — some SF blocks have systematically higher DBI activity.

Construction spend, owner's portfolio

Estimated permit value across all of this owner's buildings.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 78.3%
Moderate concern 14.4%
Severe concern 7.3%
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

3953-3955 21St St event timeline

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

2026
311 Request Jan 23
Public works
bsm request for service

See all 5 events

Full history back to 2021 — violations, complaints, permits, buyouts, and fire incidents.

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Every record we have

Full data for 3953-3955 21St St apartments

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

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