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1178-1188 Union St

Russian Hill, SF 94109 0097018 11 units · 3 fl · 1912

This building has significantly more problems than most nearby buildings. Renters here report frequent, slow-to-fix problems. Get repair promises in writing and check the unit before signing.

NOVs (7y) vs. neighborhood
Compared to a typical building in Russian Hill
Above average
avg 1.9
9
FewerMore

This building has 9 novs (7y), above the Russian Hill average of 1.9.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 1178-1188 Union 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 1912
2 or more units
11 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.

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 1912
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
Units11
Floors3
Year built1912
Total area6,882 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot0097018
Ownership

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

Mailing address
1839 Hyde St San Francisco CA 94109
Last sale
000000

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.

1184 Union St, San Francisco, CA 94109
1178 Union St, San Francisco, CA 94109
1188 Union St, San Francisco, CA 94109
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The property at 1178-1188 Union Street is a three-story, 11-unit residential building located in San Francisco's Russian Hill neighborhood, built in 1912 and currently owned by Tom Henry G G & Gayle B L. The building's most significant recent issues emerged in 2025, when multiple violations were documented, including problems with fire safety equipment, a damaged hallway wall, and the requirement for a Section 604 exterior inspection affidavit. Notably, there was also a complaint filed in 2020 regarding compliance with mandatory soft-story retrofit requirements, though this issue appears to have been resolved. More recent building activity includes structural work in 2025, with permits pulled for facade replacement and window repairs, totaling approximately $60,000 in construction costs.

The building has experienced recurring plumbing issues, with three sewage backup incidents reported between January 2024 and July 2026, suggesting ongoing infrastructure challenges. While the building has had some maintenance and compliance issues, as evidenced by the Department of Building Inspection complaints and violations, many of these have been addressed through subsequent permits and repairs. The property has recorded a total of 24 311 Service Requests in the past seven years, though most recent service requests have been relatively minor, such as reports of illegal parking and garbage management issues. The building's maintenance history shows regular attention to violations and repairs, though some historical issues with fire safety equipment and structural components have persisted.

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

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Risk rating

How 1178-1188 Union 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
11th percentile

Out of 1133 buildings in this neighborhood, 1008 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
22%
No DBI
violation
78%
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.

DBI tenant complaints (past 7 years)

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

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 19.7%
Moderate concern 29.7%
Severe concern 50.7%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

1178-1188 Union St apartment reviews

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On the map

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The story over time

1178-1188 Union St event timeline

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

2026
311 Request Jul 28
Sewage back-up discharge
from side sewer vent

See all 15 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 1178-1188 Union St apartments

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

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