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38 San Jose Ave

Noe Valley, SF 94110 3633037 3 units · 3 fl · 1989

This building has significantly more problems than most nearby buildings. Few open issues; problems get fixed quickly. A reasonable bet for a smooth tenancy.

NOVs (7y) vs. neighborhood
Compared to a typical building in Noe Valley
Above average
avg 1.2
11
FewerMore

This building has 11 novs (7y), above the Noe Valley average of 1.2.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 38 San Jose Ave 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 1989
2 or more units
3 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
RH3
Not rent-controlled. Buildings constructed after 1978 are generally exempt from SF rent increase limits under the Costa-Hawkins Act.

Based on SF Assessor records. Not legal advice — confirm with the SF Rent Board.

Building characteristics
Units3
Floors3
Year built1989
Total area3,706 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot3633037
Ownership

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

Owner name
Mullins James J & Victoria
Mailing address
4731 Golf View Ct Santa Rosa CA 95405
Last sale
042605

Landlord portfolio

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

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Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The three-story, three-unit residential building at 38 San Jose Avenue in Noe Valley, owned by James J & Victoria Mullins, was constructed in 1989 and continues to operate as a multi-family residential property. The building experienced a cluster of significant safety and maintenance violations in 2022, with multiple interconnected issues emerging in June and July of that year, including fire safety concerns, window repairs needed, and building code compliance matters. These violations encompassed problems with combustible storage, missing fire extinguishers, window glazing maintenance, handrail repairs, and various fire safety requirements. All of these violations were officially abated by September 6, 2022, though they represented a notable period of regulatory scrutiny for the property.

More recently, in 2024, there have been numerous 311 calls related to the property's exterior and immediate surroundings, including reports of garbage and debris, graffiti, sidewalk parking issues, and various street cleaning matters. These external challenges appear to be primarily related to public space management rather than building-specific issues. The property's planning and permit history is relatively straightforward, with records confirming the original construction of the three-unit building in 1989, though there are mentions of various variance applications, some of which were disapproved or abated regarding rear yard and lighting glare issues. The building underwent routine inspections in 2008 and 2017, and while there were various issues noted in these inspections, they were all resolved within a reasonable timeframe.

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

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Risk rating

How 38 San Jose Ave'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
15th percentile

Out of 1879 buildings in this neighborhood, 1597 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
54%
No DBI
violation
46%
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.

DBI tenant complaints (past 7 years)

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

NOV rate, owner's portfolio

Per-building NOV rate across everything this owner manages — high rates signal pattern neglect.

Neighborhood (ZIP code)

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

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 39.8%
Moderate concern 39.1%
Severe concern 21.1%
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 San Jose Ave apartment reviews

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The story over time

38 San Jose Ave event timeline

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

2025
311 Request Aug 23
Not offensive
pole
311 RequestAug 03
Not offensive

See all 12 events

Full history back to 2022 — violations, complaints, permits, buyouts, and fire incidents.

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Every record we have

Full data for 38 San Jose Ave 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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