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2500 Van Ness Ave

Russian Hill, SF 94109 0526016 12 units · 3 fl · 1922

This building has more problems than most buildings in this neighborhood. A handful of unresolved issues. Worth a careful walk-through and pointed questions.

NOVs (7y) vs. neighborhood
Compared to a typical building in Russian Hill
Above average
avg 1.9
6
FewerMore

This building has 6 novs (7y), above the Russian Hill average of 1.9.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 2500 Van Ness 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 1922
2 or more units
12 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
RC3
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 1922
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
Units12
Floors3
Year built1922
Total area8,280 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot0526016
Ownership

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

Mailing address
Steven C. Thrower 1 Bush St Ste 900 San Francisco CA 94104
Last sale
041020

Landlord portfolio

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

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Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The 12-unit apartment building at 2500 Van Ness Avenue, located in Russian Hill, is a 3-story structure built in 1922 and currently owned by 2500 Van Ness Avenue LLC. The building has undergone significant safety and modernization improvements, most notably a $39,000 fire alarm system upgrade in July 2023 to install new wireless low-frequency sounders and replace smoke detectors, pull stations, and horn/strobes in common areas. In 2015, the building completed a mandatory soft-story retrofit to improve seismic safety. Multiple unit renovations have been performed throughout the years, with recent updates in 2019-2020 including kitchen and bathroom remodels in several units (1, 3, and 7) as well as washer/dryer installations. The building has experienced recurring fire safety issues, with multiple fire complaints and violations related to alarm systems and blocked exits between 2008 and 2024, though most have been corrected promptly. An unusual pattern of plumbing issues was noted in 2000 with two complaints regarding sewer backup in the garage area, and several electrical upgrades have been completed, including a failed solar installation attempt in 2013. Recent fire safety inspections in 2024 revealed one alarm systems violation that was later corrected, and the building has maintained its Tier 2 soft-story compliance status. The property has undergone several zoning verifications, with records showing past attempts to convert parking spaces to commercial use, though these were disapproved. While the building has had various maintenance issues over the years, most violations have been addressed and resolved, with particular attention paid to keeping fire safety systems up to date.

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

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Risk rating

How 2500 Van Ness 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
22th percentile

Out of 1133 buildings in this neighborhood, 884 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
43%
No DBI
violation
57%
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.

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 33.4%
Moderate concern 24.2%
Severe concern 42.3%
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

2500 Van Ness Ave event timeline

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

2025
Planning Record Oct 30
Zoning letter for compliance report
Closed - Issued
Fire ComplaintOct 10
Sleeping Area Requirement

See all 30 events

Full history back to 2019 — violations, complaints, permits, buyouts, and fire incidents.

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Every record we have

Full data for 2500 Van Ness 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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