Free SF apartment background check

38-40 Pearl St

Mission Dolores, SF 94103 3502047 6 units · 3 fl · 1911

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 Mission Dolores
At or below average
avg 2.9
0
FewerMore

This building has 0 novs (7y), at or below the Mission Dolores average of 2.9.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 38-40 Pearl 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 1911
2 or more units
6 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
RM1
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
Units6
Floors3
Year built1911
Total area3,270 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot3502047
Ownership

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

Owner name
Lee Sing Yee Assn Inc
Mailing address
1064 Stockton St Apt 2 San Francisco CA 94109
Last sale
081203

Landlord portfolio

Other SF properties this owner holds, with risk grades for each.

Unlock complete report
Multiple entrances & addresses

Included addresses

All street addresses sharing this blocklot that are covered by this report.

38 Pearl St, San Francisco, CA 94103
40 Pearl St, San Francisco, CA 94103
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The 6-unit apartment building at 38-40 Pearl Street in Mission Dolores, owned by Lee Sing Yee Assn Inc, was constructed in 1911 and has undergone several significant improvements to maintain safety and compliance with current standards. Most notably, the building completed a mandatory soft-story retrofit in 2017 at a cost of $90,000, bringing it up to date with the 2013 San Francisco Building Code requirements. Recent maintenance includes a completed reroofing project in April 2024, costing $12,000, indicating ongoing investment in building upkeep. The property has successfully addressed several safety violations from a 2004 inspection, which required improvements such as smoke detectors, security features, and gas utility safety measures, all of which were abated by June 2005.

The building's maintenance history shows regular attention to roofing needs, with previous projects documented in 1989, 2006, and 2024. An electrical safety improvement was also completed in 2018 with the installation of a Ufer ground system. Recent concerns have primarily involved exterior issues, with multiple 311 calls in late 2024 regarding sidewalk defects, though these appear to be primarily municipal infrastructure issues rather than building-specific problems. The property has maintained a relatively clean safety record since addressing the 2004 violations, with no fire incidents or serious violations documented in recent years. The building's historical records also include approved variances regarding minimum lot area, rear yard, and open space requirements, though these are administrative matters that have been resolved.

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

Free account unlocks the full analysis — plus 2× more records across all data categories and the complete landlord portfolio.
Risk rating

How 38-40 Pearl 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
59th percentile

Out of 799 buildings in this neighborhood, 328 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
68%
No DBI
violation
32%
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.

Number of units

The number of units affects how the model reads complaint and violation totals — more units means more potential sources.

Neighborhood (ZIP code)

The ZIP code captures local housing market and enforcement patterns that affect all buildings in the area.

Building age

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

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 47.6%
Moderate concern 22.5%
Severe concern 29.9%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

38-40 Pearl St apartment reviews

Real experiences from people who have lived here. Share yours to help other renters decide.

Share your experience — Help other renters by leaving an honest apartment review

Loading reviews…

On the map

Compare nearby alternatives

This building and nearby alternatives, color-coded by risk level. Click any marker to explore.

Buildings nearby
Loading…
The story over time

38-40 Pearl St event timeline

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

2026
311 Request May 08
Garbage and debris
furniture
311 RequestMay 07
Garbage and debris

See all 7 events

Full history back to 2024 — violations, complaints, permits, buyouts, and fire incidents.

Unlock complete timeline
Every record we have

Full data for 38-40 Pearl St apartments

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

Still apartment hunting in SF?

Look up the next apartment before you sign

Search any SF address free — no account needed to see the risk rating.

Simple pricing

Get the complete picture

Every plan unlocks the complete report: all 13 SF datasets, full history, landlord portfolio, and PDF & Excel exports.

Report Bundle

For the buildings you're deciding on right now

$10 one-time

~$3.33 per building. No subscription ever. Each credit unlocks one building's premium report for 30 days.

  • 3 full AI-powered reports
  • Download PDF reports
  • Advanced safety analysis
  • Compare multiple buildings
  • Credits never expire until you use them
  • Full public records (200 rows per dataset)
Buy 3 Reports — $10

Apartment Hunter

For a wide search across many buildings

$39 one-time

30 reports — ~$1.30 each. No subscription ever.

  • 30 full AI-powered reports
  • Download PDF reports
  • Advanced safety analysis
  • Compare multiple buildings
  • Credits never expire until you use them
  • Full public records (200 rows per dataset)
Buy 30 Reports — $39

Cancel anytime · Data sourced from SF Open Data, DBI, SFFD, SF Rent Board & Planning

Watch 38-40 Pearl St
Get alerted the moment a new violation or complaint is filed.