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836-838 Rhode Island St

Potrero Hill, SF 94107 4094007 2 units · 3 fl · 1961

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 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 836-838 Rhode Island 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 1961
2 or more units
2 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
RH3
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 built1961
Total area4,090 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot4094007
Ownership

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

Owner name
Martin David
Mailing address
836-838 Rhode Island St San Francisco CA 94107
Last sale
120417

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.

836 Rhode Island St, San Francisco, CA 94107
838 Rhode Island St, San Francisco, CA 94107
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The three-story, two-unit multi-family residential building at 836-838 Rhode Island Street in Potrero Hill, owned by Martin David, was constructed in 1961 and has undergone several significant updates and improvements over the years. The most substantial recent work was completed in 2012-2014, involving a substantial horizontal addition to the rear of the building (approximately 1,015 sq. ft.) that included garage expansion, height increase, interior repairs, and major plumbing and electrical upgrades at a cost of $317,700. Subsequent improvements included the installation of solar panels in 2015 (though this permit has since expired), and the recent installation of new solar modules in December 2022 costing $8,075.

The building has received regular maintenance attention, including garage structural improvements in 2014 with the replacement of a center-supported beam, and comprehensive plumbing upgrades including the installation of backflow devices (most recently in August 2023). There have been multiple tree-related complaints regarding sidewalk damage from tree roots between 2020-2021 that remain open as of the last reports, though some previous tree-related issues were resolved through proper permitting. A recent complaint filed in November 2023 regarding holiday lighting (since closed) reflects general neighborhood concerns rather than building-specific issues. The building's history includes typical maintenance activities such as reroofing and window replacement in the late 1990s-2000s, and a single incident of a smoke detector activation due to malfunction with no injuries reported.

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

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Risk rating

How 836-838 Rhode Island 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
12th percentile

Out of 726 buildings in this neighborhood, 639 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
50%
No DBI
violation
50%
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.

Building size

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

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 66.1%
Moderate concern 26.4%
Severe concern 7.5%
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

836-838 Rhode Island St event timeline

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

2026
311 Request Apr 21
Sidewalk defect
lifted sidewalk other

See all 5 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 836-838 Rhode Island St apartments

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

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