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2237 Polk St

Russian Hill, SF 94109 0550004 2 units · 3 fl · 1908

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
At or below average
avg 1.9
0
FewerMore

This building has 0 novs (7y), at or below the Russian Hill average of 1.9.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 2237 Polk 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
POLK
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 1908
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
Units2
Floors3
Year built1908
Total area3,165 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot0550004
Ownership

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

Mailing address
1342 28th Ave San Francisco CA 94122
Last sale
100813

Landlord portfolio

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

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Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The three-story mixed-use building at 2237 Polk Street in Russian Hill, constructed in 1908, contains two residential units and a ground-floor commercial space. The property has undergone several significant improvements over the past two decades, most notably a $90,000 restaurant remodel in 2012-2013 that included kitchen equipment upgrades, seating rearrangement, and electrical rewiring, followed by subsequent HVAC upgrades with new furnaces installed in 2016-2017. Recent maintenance includes a completed reroofing project in 2016 costing $18,000. There are two notable historical permit attempts that were ultimately cancelled: a 2007 proposal to add a story and unit to the building, and a 2001 permit for a storefront awning installation.

The building has experienced periodic maintenance and compliance issues, including a roofing violation in 2013 that was resolved within two months, and a 2020 complaint regarding an unauthorized sidewalk structure exceeding height limits. Recent months have shown concerning trends with multiple reports of loose debris and garbage outside the property between October 2023 and February 2024, and an ongoing September 2023 report of graffiti that has not been resolved. There are also two open DPW service requests from September 2023 regarding trees and graffiti. While the property previously sought to add a bar to its restaurant in 2011 and 2016 through conditional use applications, these requests were ultimately cancelled. The building's maintenance record shows regular upkeep of building systems, though the recent increase in 311 calls about street cleaning and debris suggests potential ongoing exterior maintenance challenges.

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

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Risk rating

How 2237 Polk 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
23th percentile

Out of 1133 buildings in this neighborhood, 872 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.

DBI tenant complaints (past 7 years)

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

Property class: apartment building

Apartment building — this property classification influences expected violation rates.

Neighborhood location

Precise location is a proxy for neighborhood-level risk — some SF blocks have systematically higher DBI activity.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 37.3%
Moderate concern 55.2%
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.
Apartment reviews

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On the map

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8 found
The story over time

2237 Polk St event timeline

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

2024
311 Request Jan 22
Bulky items
Boxed or Bagged Items

See all 3 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 2237 Polk St apartments

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

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