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1938-1940 Ocean Ave

Mount Davidson Manor, SF 94127 3281020B 2 units · 2 fl · 1932

This building has significantly more problems than most nearby buildings. A handful of unresolved issues. Worth a careful walk-through and pointed questions.

NOVs (7y) vs. neighborhood
Compared to a typical building in Mount Davidson Manor
Above average
avg 1.2
6
FewerMore

This building has 6 novs (7y), above the Mount Davidson Manor average of 1.2.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 1938-1940 Ocean 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 1932
2 or more units
2 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
NC2
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 built1932
Total area2,604 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot3281020B
Ownership

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

Owner name
Ish Albert D Jr Church-Ish
Mailing address
139 Ulloa St San Francisco CA 94127
Last sale
000000

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.

1940 Ocean Ave, San Francisco, CA 94127
1938 Ocean Ave, San Francisco, CA 94127
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The two-unit residential building at 1938-1940 Ocean Avenue, located in Mount Davidson Manor and built in 1932, has undergone significant modifications and improvements over the past two years. The most substantial recent work involves the installation of a comprehensive fire safety system, including new fire sprinklers throughout the ground floor (with 29 heads and 2-inch underground service) and a sprinkler monitoring system, with related electrical upgrades including an electrical service upgrade from 100 to 200 amps, all of which are currently in process (2024). The property has experienced several building violations and complaints since 2022, most notably regarding unpermitted modifications and safety concerns. These include issues related to lead paint hazards, egress obstructions, and unauthorized replacement of the rear stairway, though most violations from February-June 2022 were abated. Two active complaints remain regarding unauthorized remodeling of commercial space and a stair relocation project.

The building's maintenance history shows regular attention to fire safety systems, with multiple fire alarm and sprinkler system inspections and corrections noted between 2007 and 2023. Recent work has included significant ground floor commercial space remodeling to accommodate an optometry practice, including electrical rewiring, plumbing updates, and other improvements totaling approximately $319,985. The property has maintained compliance with various fire safety regulations over the years, with identified violations typically being promptly addressed. Recent 311 calls from January 2025 have primarily concerned street cleaning issues, including reports of abandoned furniture and overflowing garbage cans in the vicinity, though these are external matters not directly related to the building's condition.

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

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Risk rating

How 1938-1940 Ocean 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
8th percentile

Out of 26 buildings in this neighborhood, 24 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
40%
No DBI
violation
60%
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.

NOV rate, owner's portfolio

Per-building NOV rate across everything this owner manages — high rates signal pattern neglect.

DBI tenant complaints (past 7 years)

Formal complaints tenants filed with DBI about this building over 7 years.

Property class: apartment building

Apartment building — this property classification influences expected violation rates.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 27.5%
Moderate concern 47.1%
Severe concern 25.4%
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

1938-1940 Ocean Ave event timeline

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

2026
Building Permit Apr 02
To obtain final inspection for work approved under pa# 202406043710. all work is complete.
$1 · Complete
311 RequestMar 05
Not offensive

See all 28 events

Full history back to 2022 — violations, complaints, permits, buyouts, and fire incidents.

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Every record we have

Full data for 1938-1940 Ocean 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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