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3234-3242 16Th St

Mission Dolores, SF 94103 3556021 6 units · 3 fl · 1911

This building has far more open problems than almost any other in the 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 Mission Dolores
Above average
avg 2.9
19
FewerMore

This building has 19 novs (7y), above the Mission Dolores average of 2.9.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 3234-3242 16Th 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
VALEN
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 area6,632 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot3556021
Ownership

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

Owner name
Cheng Martin M & Annie W Fa
Mailing address
Annie W & Martin Cheng 1001 Laurel St, 309 San Carlos CA 94070
Last sale
030498

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.

3234 16th St, San Francisco, CA 94103
3242 16th St, San Francisco, CA 94103
3238 16th St, San Francisco, CA 94103
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The three-story, six-unit multi-family residential building at 3234-3242 16th Street in Mission Dolores, owned by Martin M. Cheng and Annie W. Fa, has undergone several significant improvements and faced various challenges since its construction in 1911. Most notably, in July 2023, the building received a comprehensive fire alarm system upgrade valued at approximately $20,567, including new addressable smoke detectors, manual pull stations, and low-frequency horns in all residential sleeping areas, bringing the building into compliance with current fire safety standards. The property has experienced recurring maintenance issues, including a lead paint hazard concern in 2020 that resulted in multiple violations, which were ultimately abated by November 2021. Other notable improvements include a complete window replacement project in 2006, installation of new concrete in the parking lot in 2010, and various electrical upgrades in 2003, including a main service replacement.

The building has faced several challenges in recent years, including complaints about a vacant ground floor retail space in 2022 that was reportedly suffering from vandalism and neglect, though this issue was marked as resolved in December 2022. Multiple routine inspections have shown varying degrees of maintenance compliance, with several violations recorded in 2020-2021 related to paint problems, lead hazards, and building systems. The property has also experienced periodic infrastructure issues, including a sewage leak in 2020, though this was addressed by the landlord. Recent 311 calls from 2023-2025 have primarily concerned exterior maintenance issues such as garbage concerns, graffiti, and parking violations, though these are not necessarily indicative of building conditions. The building's fire incident record shows three minor incidents between 2020 and 2023, none resulting in civilian injuries or significant damage.

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

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Risk rating

How 3234-3242 16Th 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
4th percentile

Out of 799 buildings in this neighborhood, 767 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
15%
No DBI
violation
85%
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 size

Total floor area — a proxy for building scale and the number of systems (plumbing, electrical, HVAC) that can fail.

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.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 7.9%
Moderate concern 46.1%
Severe concern 46.0%
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

3234-3242 16Th St event timeline

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

2023
Building Permit Jul 24
Upgrade the (e) fire alarm system by replacing it with 1 fire alarm control unit; 1 wireless communicator next to facu; 3 addressible smoke dtectors; 3 addressible manual pull station; 3 horn strobes; 13 low frequency horns @ all residential sleeping area
$15,000 · Complete
Electrical PermitJul 24
Upgrade e fire alarm system to comply with sffc sec 1103.7.6.1

See all 15 events

Full history back to 2020 — violations, complaints, permits, buyouts, and fire incidents.

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Every record we have

Full data for 3234-3242 16Th St 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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