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438-440 Arkansas St

Potrero Hill, SF 94107 4069007 2 units · 3 fl · 1908

This building has a higher-than-average number of open problems nearby. Few open issues; problems get fixed quickly. A reasonable bet for a smooth tenancy.

NOVs (7y) vs. neighborhood
Compared to a typical building in Potrero Hill
At or below average
avg 1.1
0
FewerMore

This building has 0 novs (7y), at or below the Potrero Hill average of 1.1.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 438-440 Arkansas 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 1908
2 or more units
2 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
RH2
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
Floors3
Year built1908
Total area3,015 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusHome Owners
Blocklot4069007
Ownership

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

Owner name
Richard A Shapiro & Nancy A
Mailing address
Shapiro Richard A Succ Trus 438 Arkansas St San Francisco CA 94107
Last sale
091511

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.

438 Arkansas St, San Francisco, CA 94107
440 Arkansas St, San Francisco, CA 94107
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The three-story multi-family residential building at 438-440 Arkansas Street in Potrero Hill, built in 1908, is a two-unit structure owned by Richard A Shapiro & Nancy A. The property has undergone several significant renovations and compliance updates over the past two decades, with the most substantial work occurring in 2008 when major improvements were made to the basement including the installation of a new bathroom, washer/dryer, and updated electrical systems costing approximately $29,000. In 2013, the building underwent compliance work following physical inspection report #CC-7185, which required plumbing modifications including the installation of vacuum breakers and proper water heater flue installations, as well as electrical corrections related to the sump pump and rear deck conduit.

The building has maintained good documentation of its improvements, with all major permits reaching completion status, though there were some cancelled permits such as the 2014 window modification project. Recent 311 calls from 2023-2024 primarily relate to street cleaning and parking enforcement issues on the surrounding public street, rather than building-specific concerns. The property also has records showing approvals for 2-unit condo conversion and a vertical addition with new rear exit stairs, indicating past planning for greater utilization of the space, though these projects' statuses are listed as closed with no developer specified.

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

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Risk rating

How 438-440 Arkansas 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
69th percentile

Out of 726 buildings in this neighborhood, 225 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
82%
No DBI
violation
18%
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.

Property class: multi-family flat

2–4 unit flats (class F) are a common SF building type with their own maintenance and complaint patterns.

Building age

Older buildings tend to have more maintenance challenges; SF's pre-1906 earthquake housing stock carries distinct risk.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 61.8%
Moderate concern 28.3%
Severe concern 9.9%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
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The story over time

438-440 Arkansas St event timeline

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

No dated public records on file yet.
Every record we have

Full data for 438-440 Arkansas 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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