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217-219 Downey St

Buena Vista Park/Ashbury Heights, SF 94117 1269115 2 units · 2 fl · 1900

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 Buena Vista Park/Ashbury Heights
At or below average
avg 1.6
0
FewerMore

This building has 0 novs (7y), at or below the Buena Vista Park/Ashbury Heights average of 1.6.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 217-219 Downey 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
RH2
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 area1,380 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot1269115
Ownership

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

Owner name
Steven E Pope Trust
Mailing address
Steven E Pope, Trustee 2949 S Coast Hwy Laguna Beach CA 92651
Last sale
061396

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.

217 Downey St, San Francisco, CA 94117
219 Downey St, San Francisco, CA 94117
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The two-unit residential building at 217-219 Downey Street, built in 1900 and currently owned by the Steven E Pope Trust, has undergone several significant improvements over the past decade. Most notably, in 2010-2011, the property received substantial upgrades including a kitchen remodel ($15,000), installation of modern appliances (dishwasher, stove) and new electrical circuits, followed by plumbing enhancements including a new water heater, laundry facilities, and a complete electrical system upgrade with a new house panel and dedicated circuits. The building has also experienced safety monitoring events, with multiple carbon monoxide detector activations recorded (all showing no CO presence) between 2016-2018, and two gas-related incidents (a leak and a CO incident) with no reported injuries. Recent municipal interactions include several street cleaning and maintenance requests in 2021-2022, though most were resolved without major implications. The property's permit history from 1984 shows earlier code work was completed, demonstrating ongoing compliance with building requirements.

The building's maintenance and incident records suggest regular upkeep and prompt response to safety concerns, with all detected issues being promptly addressed and no civilian injuries recorded in any incidents. A recent (October 2024) temporary moving-related permit application was denied due to non-payment, though this appears to be an administrative matter rather than a building-related concern. While there have been multiple 311 calls regarding the surrounding area (reporting issues like sidewalk defects and noise), these were primarily related to public infrastructure and were generally resolved through appropriate municipal channels. The most substantial building improvements occurred between 2010-2011, focusing on modernizing utilities and compliance with current standards, with no major building-specific issues reported in recent years.

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

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Risk rating

How 217-219 Downey 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
77th percentile

Out of 351 buildings in this neighborhood, 81 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
85%
No DBI
violation
15%
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 age

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

Property class: multi-family flat

2–4 unit flats (class F) are a common SF building type with their own maintenance and complaint patterns.

Estimated permit spend (past 7 years)

Dollar value of permits pulled at this address — large recent spend can signal deferred-maintenance catch-up.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 77.6%
Moderate concern 16.7%
Severe concern 5.8%
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

217-219 Downey St event timeline

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

2026
311 Request Jan 28
Overgrown tree
pruning request

See all 1 events

Full history back to 2026 — violations, complaints, permits, buyouts, and fire incidents.

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Every record we have

Full data for 217-219 Downey 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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