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542-546 Church St

Eureka Valley/Dolores Heights, SF 94114 3580005 21 units · 3 fl · 1975

This building has a substantial enforcement record over the last seven years, and our model predicts continuing maintenance failures over the next 12 months. Read the records below before you sign. Ask which issues were resolved, get repair commitments in writing, and inspect the unit yourself.

NOVs (7y) vs. neighborhood
Records already on file, against a typical building in Eureka Valley/Dolores Heights — not a forecast
Above average
avg 1.4
5
FewerMore

This building has 5 novs (7y), above the Eureka Valley/Dolores Heights average of 1.4.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 542-546 Church 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 1975
2 or more units
21 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
RM2
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.

Statewide backstop · AB 1482

California Tenant Protection Act of 2019

Even when a building isn't covered by local rent stabilization, the statewide Tenant Protection Act (AB 1482) may still apply. It caps annual rent increases and requires the landlord to state a legal reason to end most tenancies.

15+ years since occupancy
Built 1975
Annual rent increase cap
5% + CPI, max 10%
Just-cause eviction
After 12 months
Local rent control likely takes priority. This building appears to fall under the local ordinance above, which is stronger than AB 1482. Where a local just-cause ordinance applies, its rules govern instead of the state cap.

AB 1482 does not apply to single-family homes and condos unless owned by a corporation, REIT, or an LLC with a corporate member; to owner-occupied duplexes; or to deed-restricted affordable housing. The Act is in effect until January 1, 2030. Not legal advice — see the California landlord–tenant guide.

Building characteristics
Units21
Floors3
Year built1975
Total area15,000 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot3580005
Ownership

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

Mailing address
Whelan James 1353 Ulloa St San Francisco CA 94116
Last sale
—

Landlord portfolio

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

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Multiple entrances & addresses

Included addresses

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

544 Church St, San Francisco, CA 94114
546 Church St, San Francisco, CA 94114
542 Church St, San Francisco, CA 94114
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The three-story, 21-unit multi-family residential building at 542-546 Church Street, constructed in 1975, has undergone several significant safety and infrastructure improvements in recent years. Most notably, the building completed a mandatory soft-story seismic upgrade in 2017 at a cost of $136,000, demonstrating compliance with San Francisco's seismic safety requirements. In late 2024, substantial electrical improvements were implemented across multiple units, with ten apartments receiving new sub panels. However, there are currently two open fire violations from December 2023 regarding sleeping area requirements, though previous fire-related issues from 2020 and 2012 were resolved with no merit or correction.

The building has a documented history of maintenance concerns that were addressed, particularly in 2019 when multiple violations were resolved, including issues with carbon monoxide/smoke alarms, ventilation systems, plumbing, and various building maintenance items. These violations were abated by April 2019, showing responsiveness to housing inspection requirements. Earlier history includes a 2011 complaint about security issues and a 1994 incident involving flooding, though there have been no recent patterns of similar concerns. Regular inspection records from 1997-2004 show standard compliance checks, and the building underwent a roof replacement in 1999. Recent 311 calls primarily relate to external issues such as graffiti and street cleaning, which are not directly related to building maintenance. The property has also been involved in some short-term rental compliance issues, which were resolved.

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

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Risk rating

How 542-546 Church 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

Lower risk — safer than most nearby

DBI rarely finds violations here. Strong maintenance history and a clean complaint record.

Typical — about average for the neighborhood

Some past violations or complaints on record. Worth asking the landlord about any open issues before signing.

Higher risk — riskier than most nearby

Elevated violation and complaint history. DBI has found issues here before and is statistically likely to again.

Neighborhood percentile
3rdpercentile

Out of 1278 buildings in this neighborhood, 1240 are predicted to be safer. The band is relative to this neighborhood, so a share of every neighborhood falls in each colour.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
24%
No DBI
violation
76%
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.

Building size

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

Neighborhood location

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

12-Month risk forecast
High failure risk 76%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

542-546 Church St apartment reviews

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On the map

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The story over time

542-546 Church St event timeline

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

2026
DBI Complaint Jul 24
No violations; affidavits received.
Housing Inspection Services
Building Violation (NOV)Jun 01
Building violation

See all 20 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 542-546 Church St apartments

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

Side by side

How 542-546 Church St compares to the neighborhood

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