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1856 Franklin St

Pacific Heights, SF 94109 0623007C 8 units · 4 fl · 1914

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 Pacific Heights
Above average
avg 1.4
3
FewerMore

This building has 3 novs (7y), above the Pacific Heights average of 1.4.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 1856 Franklin 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 1914
2 or more units
8 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
RM3
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 1914
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
Units8
Floors4
Year built1914
Total area9,777 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot0623007C
Ownership

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

Mailing address
1856 Franklin St Apt 4 San Francisco CA 94109
Last sale
011221

Landlord portfolio

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

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Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The four-story, 8-unit building at 1856 Franklin Street in Pacific Heights, constructed in 1914 and currently owned by Cowan Jordan B & Alber Kris, has experienced several significant issues in recent years that could impact tenant safety and comfort. Most notably, in 2023, the building was classified as a nuisance under section 1001-d of the San Francisco Housing Code, with particular concerns about heavy planters on the second-floor ledge that posed a falling hazard and blocked a fire escape, an issue previously documented in a 2018 complaint. Multiple complaints from 2024-2025 highlighted unauthorized construction work including roofing, plumbing repairs, and interior remodeling in units 6 & 7, as well as window replacements and siding work. These unpermitted modifications reportedly continued through 2025, generating noise complaints from neighboring units during construction. The building has also faced security concerns, with disabled security cameras in units 2 and 4 recorded people going in and out with cloud storage.

The property's maintenance record shows 102 311 service requests and 8 Department of Building Inspection complaints over the past seven years. Recent service requests from 2025-2026 have mostly concerned municipal services and public space issues rather than building-specific problems, though there are currently two open cases regarding a mailbox and city receptacle. The building's historical maintenance pattern suggests recurring issues with exterior elements, as evidenced by the 2023 violation notice regarding potted plants on the second-floor ledge, which was noted in a similar violation from 2018. The combination of documented safety concerns, unauthorized construction work, and security issues over the past several years suggests attention to building maintenance and compliance has been inconsistent.

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

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Risk rating

How 1856 Franklin 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 963 buildings in this neighborhood, 857 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
29%
No DBI
violation
71%
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.

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.

Number of units

The number of units affects how the model reads complaint and violation totals — more units means more potential sources.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 27.4%
Moderate concern 40.5%
Severe concern 32.1%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

1856 Franklin St apartment reviews

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The story over time

1856 Franklin St event timeline

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

2026
311 Request Jul 28
Not offensive
signal box
311 RequestJul 21
Offensive

See all 15 events

Full history back to 2023 — violations, complaints, permits, buyouts, and fire incidents.

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Every record we have

Full data for 1856 Franklin 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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