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1231-1239 Powell St

Nob Hill, SF 94133 0180003 8 units · 3 fl · 1907

This building has a higher-than-average number of open problems nearby. A handful of unresolved issues. Worth a careful walk-through and pointed questions.

NOVs (7y) vs. neighborhood
Compared to a typical building in Nob Hill
At or below average
avg 2.4
0
FewerMore

This building has 0 novs (7y), at or below the Nob Hill average of 2.4.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 1231-1239 Powell 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 1907
2 or more units
8 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
CRNC
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
Units8
Floors3
Year built1907
Total area6,023 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot0180003
Ownership

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

Owner name
Ow Melody May
Mailing address
466 Green St Ste 302 San Francisco CA 94133
Last sale
040319

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.

1235 Powell St, San Francisco, CA 94133
1237 Powell St, San Francisco, CA 94133
1233 Powell St, San Francisco, CA 94133
1231 Powell St, San Francisco, CA 94133
1239 Powell St, San Francisco, CA 94133
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The three-story, eight-unit multi-family residential building at 1231-1239 Powell Street in Nob Hill, owned by Melody May and constructed in 1907, has undergone several significant renovations and faced various challenges over its history. Most notably, in 2014, Unit #6 received substantial upgrades including a kitchen and bathroom remodel with new cabinets and fixtures, along with electrical improvements comprising five circuits, six receptacles, and appliance installations such as a dishwasher and range. Earlier improvements included siding repairs in 2013 (valued at $13,000) and a street space permit issued in 2013. The building experienced serious maintenance issues in 2003-2004, including multiple violations related to lead paint hazards, damaged walls, window hardware problems, fire escape maintenance, and sanitation concerns, all of which were abated by March 2004. These violations were prompted by a routine inspection and a complaint about structural problems that created echo chamber effects between floors.

The property has a history of various maintenance and inspection activities dating back to 1996 when reroofing work was permitted. More recent building maintenance issues include reports of deteriorated exterior siding in 2013 and a complaint about unauthorized remodeling work in 2002. The building has generated numerous 311 calls in 2023-2024, primarily regarding street cleaning and sidewalk maintenance issues, though these are mostly external to the building itself. A water or steam leak incident was recorded but resulted in no civilian injuries. While the building has faced several challenges over the years, particularly in the early 2000s, most recent records show no active building violations or major safety concerns, suggesting improved maintenance and compliance with building codes.

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

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Risk rating

How 1231-1239 Powell 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
34th percentile

Out of 1125 buildings in this neighborhood, 742 are predicted to be safer.

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

Neighborhood (ZIP code)

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

Building size

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

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 30.1%
Moderate concern 23.5%
Severe concern 46.5%
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

1231-1239 Powell St event timeline

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

2026
311 Request Apr 28
Garbage and debris
other loose garbage debris yard waste
311 RequestApr 09
Garbage and debris

See all 5 events

Full history back to 2025 — violations, complaints, permits, buyouts, and fire incidents.

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Every record we have

Full data for 1231-1239 Powell 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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