3801-3803 18th St, San Francisco, CA 94114

The 6-unit, 3-story multi-family residential building at 3801-3803 18th Street, built in 1910, has undergone numerous renovations and faced several significant safety concerns in recent years. Most notably, there is an active complaint from December 2020 regarding the building's status as a potentially unretrofitted soft-story structure, which poses seismic concerns according to city mandates.

The property has a documented history of fire safety violations, including issues with fire escape maintenance and egress obstructions in 2002 and 2007, though these were eventually abated. The building underwent multiple unit renovations between 2004-2017, including kitchen and bathroom remodels on various floors, window replacements for the entire property in 2007, and retail space modifications in 2012 for a small self-service restaurant with an ancillary brewery (Woods Beer Co.) which has been operational since 2012.

Recent maintenance and safety records show a pattern of reactive rather than proactive responses to building issues, with multiple fire alarm incidents (mostly false alarms or malfunctions), some electrical equipment problems, and one documented electrical wiring/fire safety incident. The building's management has addressed unit improvements over time, as seen in the various building and plumbing permits, but concerns remain regarding the 2020 soft-story violation and some ongoing maintenance issues, as indicated by recent 311 calls including sidewalk defects and graffiti. While there have been no documented civilian injuries from the various fire incidents or safety concerns, the building's history shows a need for continued attention to both unit improvements and building safety compliance requirements, particularly regarding earthquake retrofits.