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52-54 Kissling St

South of Market, SF 94103 3517025 2 units · 2 fl · 1906

This building has more problems than most buildings in this neighborhood. Renters here report frequent, slow-to-fix problems. Get repair promises in writing and check the unit before signing.

NOVs (7y) vs. neighborhood
Compared to a typical building in South of Market
Above average
avg 3.3
5
FewerMore

This building has 5 novs (7y), above the South of Market average of 3.3.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 52-54 Kissling 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 1906
2 or more units
2 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
SLR
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 built1906
Total area2,474 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot3517025
Ownership

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

Owner name
Donald J Lawson Revoc Tr
Mailing address
P.o. Box 1405 Guerneville CA 95446
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.

52 Kissling St, San Francisco, CA 94103
54 Kissling St, San Francisco, CA 94103
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The two-unit residential building at 52-54 Kissling Street, owned by the Donald J Lawson Revocable Trust, is a 2-story flats and duplex structure built in 1906 in the South of Market neighborhood. The property has a history of maintenance issues, most notably a recent cluster of violations filed in August 2023 regarding deteriorating exterior conditions, including problems with pipes and peeling paint creating potential lead hazards. These violations remain active, with final warning letters issued in July 2024. Additional repair work is currently underway, with permits issued in June 2024 for multiple projects including dry rot repairs near the garage door, front stairs, and back stairs post, as well as window replacements.

The building's maintenance history shows ongoing structural and safety concerns, including past termite repairs (1994), foundation replacement (1992), and roofing work (1996). The property has experienced several fire safety inspections and violations, particularly in 2022, related to blocked exits, combustible materials, and alarm systems, though these conditions have been marked as corrected. Fire incident records indicate no significant civilian injuries, with most incidents being false alarms or system malfunctions. Recent activity around the building includes multiple 311 calls regarding street conditions and sidewalk cleaning, with several cases in 2024 being resolved through city services. The building's age and maintenance record suggest a continuing need for attention to both structural and safety systems, particularly regarding the existing violations related to paint and plumbing conditions.

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

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Risk rating

How 52-54 Kissling 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
22th percentile

Out of 430 buildings in this neighborhood, 335 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
29%
No DBI
violation
71%
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.

Neighborhood (ZIP code)

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

DBI tenant complaints (past 7 years)

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

Director's hearing rate, owner's portfolio

Per-building rate of director's hearings across the owner's portfolio.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 25.7%
Moderate concern 52.8%
Severe concern 21.5%
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

52-54 Kissling St event timeline

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

2026
311 Request Jan 27
Public works
buf customer callback

See all 15 events

Full history back to 2023 — violations, complaints, permits, buyouts, and fire incidents.

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Every record we have

Full data for 52-54 Kissling St apartments

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

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