Free SF apartment background check

525 Cole St

Haight Ashbury, SF 94117 1229030 8 units · 2 fl · 1961

This building has more problems than most buildings in this neighborhood. Few open issues; problems get fixed quickly. A reasonable bet for a smooth tenancy.

NOVs (7y) vs. neighborhood
Compared to a typical building in Haight Ashbury
At or below average
avg 1.8
0
FewerMore

This building has 0 novs (7y), at or below the Haight Ashbury average of 1.8.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 525 Cole 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 1961
2 or more units
8 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
RH3
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
Floors2
Year built1961
Total area5,130 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot1229030
Ownership

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

Owner name
Irene Dietz Trust 2015
Mailing address
Dietz Irene Trustee 2 San Fernando Way San Francisco CA 94127
Last sale
040999

Landlord portfolio

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

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Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The 8-unit multi-family residential building at 525 Cole Street in Haight Ashbury, owned by the Irene Dietz Trust 2015, has undergone numerous significant improvements since its construction in 1961. Most recently, in 2022, the building completed a conversion of its fire alarm system from wireless to a wired horn system, demonstrating ongoing commitment to fire safety improvements. The building has addressed several structural and maintenance issues over the years, including removal of dry rot and damaged stucco in 2021 (costing $10,000 and $5,000 respectively), replacement of aluminum windows on the front facade in 2016, and voluntary structural strengthening at the first floor in 2011.

The property has a history of fire safety-related violations from 2002, which included problems with egress obstructions, the central alarm system, and combustible storage issues; however, all these violations were abated by August 2003. There was also a fire incident in 1988 that required repairs, indicating the building's age and history. Recent maintenance issues in the vicinity of the building have been documented through multiple 311 calls in 2024 related to sidewalk defects and garbage concerns, though these are more relevant to the neighborhood than the building itself. The property has undergone regular safety inspections, with the most recent fire complaints in 2018 and 2020 showing either "No Merit" or "Condition Corrected" outcomes. The recorded permits and inspections suggest the building's systems are regularly updated to meet current codes, with particular attention paid to fire safety systems and structural integrity.

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

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Risk rating

How 525 Cole 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
26th percentile

Out of 581 buildings in this neighborhood, 430 are predicted to be safer.

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

Older buildings tend to have more maintenance challenges; SF's pre-1906 earthquake housing stock carries distinct risk.

Owner's portfolio size

Number of SF parcels this owner is registered on — larger portfolios have distinct risk patterns.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 54.6%
Moderate concern 27.6%
Severe concern 17.8%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

525 Cole St apartment reviews

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The story over time

525 Cole St event timeline

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

2026
Planning Record Feb 10
525 Cole ST APT 3 Illegal Airbnb.
Closed - No Violation

See all 8 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 525 Cole 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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