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1608-1610 Polk St

Nob Hill, SF 94109 0621013 19 units · 6 fl · 1995

This building has more problems than most buildings in this neighborhood. 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 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 1608-1610 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 1995
2 or more units
19 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
POLK
Not rent-controlled. Buildings constructed after 1978 are generally exempt from SF rent increase limits under the Costa-Hawkins Act.

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 1995
Annual rent increase cap
5% + CPI, max 10%
Just-cause eviction
After 12 months
May be covered by AB 1482. The building is old enough for the statewide rent cap (5% + regional CPI, capped at 10% per year) and just-cause protection after 12 months of tenancy.

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
Units19
Floors6
Year built1995
Total area35,890 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot0621013
Ownership

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

Mailing address
Mary Cotter P.O. Box 638 Healdsburg CA 95448
Last sale
061496

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.

1688 Sacramento St, San Francisco, CA 94109
1608 Polk St, San Francisco, CA 94109
1610 Polk St, San Francisco, CA 94109
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The six-story, 19-unit multi-family residential building at 1608-1610 Polk Street, constructed in 1995 and currently owned by 1688 Sacramento Street LLC, has experienced a series of notable events, particularly in its recent history. Most concerning is the recent fire violation issued in December 2023 regarding sleeping area requirements, which remains open as of October 2023. The building has also faced multiple fire safety issues in 2023, including blocked exits and extinguisher concerns in November 2023, though these conditions were corrected. Previous violations include an alarm system issue in December 2021 and combustible materials concern in October 2018, indicating ongoing fire safety maintenance challenges. The building was involved in a significant 2015 incident when electrical work was performed without proper permits during a restaurant remodel, though this violation was subsequently abated.

The property's maintenance history shows various improvement projects, including a $36,000 reroofing in 2014, installation of a T-Mobile facility in 2010, and several commercial space renovations in 2015 involving plumbing and electrical work. Recent activity includes a 2024 permit to verify sound levels in sleeping areas, though the 2020 plumbing permit for new house trap work has expired. The building has experienced recurring issues with its commercial spaces, as evidenced by multiple vacant storefront complaints in 2019 and 2020. Historical records (1996) indicate past water seepage issues in the garage area, and there have been several fire alarm activations and elevator rescues recorded, though none resulted in injuries. The building's location has generated multiple recent 311 calls (as of late 2024) relating to street cleaning, illegal parking, and maintenance issues, suggesting ongoing exterior maintenance challenges around the property.

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

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Risk rating

How 1608-1610 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 1125 buildings in this neighborhood, 866 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
28%
No DBI
violation
72%
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 17.5%
Moderate concern 64.4%
Severe concern 18.1%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

1608-1610 Polk St apartment reviews

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The story over time

1608-1610 Polk St event timeline

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

2026
311 Request Apr 06
Not offensive
building commercial
311 RequestMar 16
Garbage and debris

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 1608-1610 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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Cancel anytime · Data sourced from SF Open Data, DBI, SFFD, SF Rent Board & Planning

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