Free SF apartment background check

636-638 Cole St

Haight Ashbury, SF 94117 1247016 2 units · 2 fl · 1903

This building has a higher-than-average number of open problems nearby. 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 636-638 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 1903
2 or more units
2 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
Units2
Floors2
Year built1903
Total area3,000 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusHome Owners
Blocklot1247016
Ownership

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

Owner name
Jeffrey Craig Preston & Lab
Mailing address
636 Cole St San Francisco CA 94117
Last sale
060517

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.

636 Cole St, San Francisco, CA 94117
638 Cole St, San Francisco, CA 94117
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The two-unit residential building at 636-638 Cole Street in Haight Ashbury, constructed in 1903, has undergone several significant renovations and maintenance work over the past decades. Most recently, in 2020-2021, the property underwent bathroom renovations including the installation of additional toilets and sinks in both units. The building has seen regular maintenance of its roof, with reroofing work performed in 2015 and 2018, though the 2018 permit was valued significantly lower than the 2015 work. A notable safety concern was addressed in 1996 when an emergency removal of a dangerous parapet was completed, followed by structural repairs to reinforce the wall. The property has had two major sets of renovations in 2010, including kitchen remodels in both units and significant electrical upgrades to replace ungrounded outlets, totaling approximately $56,000 in work.

The building has experienced some maintenance challenges, particularly in 2009 when electrical problems were reported, including sparking sockets and issues with the rear stairs, though these violations were abated by July 2009. Multiple plumbing improvements were completed in 2010, including chimney flue installation for water heaters and furnace, along with various valve replacements. More recently, the building has had several parking-related issues documented through 311 calls in 2021-2023, primarily involving vehicles blocking the driveway or parking on the sidewalk, though these are external issues not directly related to building condition or maintenance. The property underwent a condo conversion process as indicated in planning records, though no developer information is listed.

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

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Risk rating

How 636-638 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
80th percentile

Out of 581 buildings in this neighborhood, 116 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
83%
No DBI
violation
17%
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.

Neighborhood location

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

Building age

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

DBI complaint rate, owner's portfolio

Per-building complaint rate across the owner's portfolio.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 69.1%
Moderate concern 15.1%
Severe concern 15.8%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

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The story over time

636-638 Cole St event timeline

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

2023
311 Request Sep 25
Blocking driveway cite tow
Gray - Jeep - 12312RA
311 RequestJul 16
Blocking driveway cite only

See all 5 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 636-638 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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