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848-850 Cole St

Cole Valley/Parnassus Heights, SF 94117 1268028 2 units · 2 fl · 1900

This building has far more open problems than almost any other in the 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 Cole Valley/Parnassus Heights
Above average
avg 0.9
13
FewerMore

This building has 13 novs (7y), above the Cole Valley/Parnassus Heights average of 0.9.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 848-850 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 1900
2 or more units
2 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
NC1
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 built1900
Total area2,570 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot1268028
Ownership

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

Owner name
Samson Lillian P
Mailing address
315-b So Pixley St Orange CA 92867
Last sale
101518

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.

848 Cole St, San Francisco, CA 94117
850 Cole St, San Francisco, CA 94117
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The property at 848-850 Cole Street is a two-story, multi-family residential building with ground floor retail, constructed in 1900 and containing two units. Over the past year, the building has undergone significant renovations, with the most recent work completed in October 2024 including the installation of a fire suppression system and electrical work for a cold room and kitchen hood. In 2023, substantial maintenance and repair work was performed, including mold abatement, structural repairs to exterior walls, roof shingle replacement, and addressing water damage. The building experienced serious structural concerns in 2019 with violations related to a separating second-story addition, which were officially abated in September 2022. Several recent complaints in 2024 regarding unpermitted work, including potential microbrewery construction and unsafe construction practices, suggest ongoing concerns about unauthorized modifications to the property.

The building has undergone various upgrades including kitchen and bathroom remodeling in 2020 (with a cost of $64,000) and improvements to its fire safety systems. Multiple permits have been issued for plumbing work, including replacement of gas lines and sewer pipe repairs in 2024, and a water heater replacement in December 2024. The property has a history of maintenance issues that have required attention, including mold abatement, roof repairs, and structural work, though many of these problems appear to have been addressed through proper permitting and repairs. Recent complaints about illegal parking, graffiti, and sidewalk debris have been documented through 311 calls, primarily related to exterior and public space maintenance rather than building-specific issues. The property's retail space has undergone various modifications, including the installation of an outdoor seating area and alcohol license transfers, suggesting ongoing use as a commercial establishment in addition to its residential components.

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

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Risk rating

How 848-850 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
1th percentile

Out of 526 buildings in this neighborhood, 521 are predicted to be safer.

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

NOV rate, owner's portfolio

Per-building NOV rate across everything this owner manages — high rates signal pattern neglect.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 17.5%
Moderate concern 64.8%
Severe concern 17.7%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

848-850 Cole St apartment reviews

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The story over time

848-850 Cole St event timeline

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

2025
Plumbing Permit Jan 30
Replacement of house trap and 5 ft of sewer lateral.
Complete
311 RequestJan 25
Entertainment

See all 30 events

Full history back to 2019 — violations, complaints, permits, buyouts, and fire incidents.

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Every record we have

Full data for 848-850 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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