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159-161 Parnassus Ave

Cole Valley/Parnassus Heights, SF 94117 1276001E 2 units · 2 fl · 1922

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 Cole Valley/Parnassus Heights
At or below average
avg 0.9
0
FewerMore

This building has 0 novs (7y), at or below the Cole Valley/Parnassus Heights average of 0.9.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 159-161 Parnassus Ave 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 1922
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 built1922
Total area2,600 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot1276001E
Ownership

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

Owner name
Lynette M Porteous Lvg Tr
Mailing address
Lynette M Porteous Trustee 159 Parnassus Ave San Francisco CA 94117
Last sale
082418

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.

159 Parnassus Ave, San Francisco, CA 94117
161 Parnassus Ave, San Francisco, CA 94117
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The property at 159-161 Parnassus Avenue is a two-unit, two-story multi-family residential building constructed in 1922, currently owned by the Lynette M Porteous Living Trust. The building has undergone several significant improvements over the past two decades, with the most recent major upgrade being the installation of a new hydronic heating system with two wall-hung mod/con combi units in April 2022, demonstrating ongoing infrastructure maintenance. In 2017, substantial renovations were completed including a kitchen remodel ($30,000) with corresponding plumbing and electrical work, though these improvements were preceded by some plumbing and electrical upgrades in 2010 including sewer line replacement. The building underwent window replacement in 2009, with 16 windows being upgraded to modern standards.

Of particular note is an active building complaint from 2003 regarding an allegedly illegal unit in the back of the garage, which remains unresolved in the system as of October 2023. More recently, there was a noise complaint in June 2021 related to construction work, though this was resolved within a week. The property has experienced recurring issues with graffiti in the surrounding area, with several incidents reported between 2016 and 2022. Additionally, there have been multiple reports of abandoned vehicles in the vicinity between 2016-2019, though these were typically resolved quickly as the vehicles were not present upon inspection. Street maintenance has been addressed through various permits, with sidewalk repairs recorded in 2009 and 2010.

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

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Risk rating

How 159-161 Parnassus Ave'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
37th percentile

Out of 526 buildings in this neighborhood, 331 are predicted to be safer.

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

Permit rate, owner's portfolio

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

DBI complaint rate, owner's portfolio

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

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 52.2%
Moderate concern 35.5%
Severe concern 12.3%
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

159-161 Parnassus Ave event timeline

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

2022
Plumbing Permit Apr 04
Work category: 2m ; hydronic heating system w/dhw production (2) wall hung mod/con combi units 199k btu each emitters to be panel radiators
Complete

See all 2 events

Full history back to 2021 — violations, complaints, permits, buyouts, and fire incidents.

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Every record we have

Full data for 159-161 Parnassus Ave 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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