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1138 Cole St

Cole Valley/Parnassus Heights, SF 94117 1280018 2 units · 2 fl · 1907

Nothing on record for this building in the last seven years, and our model puts it at a low risk of maintenance problems over the next 12 months. No public enforcement record to go on. Walk the building, ask the current tenants how repairs get handled, and get any promises in writing.

NOVs (7y) vs. neighborhood
Records already on file, against a typical building in Cole Valley/Parnassus Heights — not a forecast
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 1138 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 1907
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.

Statewide backstop · AB 1482

California Tenant Protection Act of 2019

Even when a building isn't covered by local rent stabilization, the statewide Tenant Protection Act (AB 1482) may still apply. It caps annual rent increases and requires the landlord to state a legal reason to end most tenancies.

15+ years since occupancy
Built 1907
Annual rent increase cap
5% + CPI, max 10%
Just-cause eviction
After 12 months
Local rent control likely takes priority. This building appears to fall under the local ordinance above, which is stronger than AB 1482. Where a local just-cause ordinance applies, its rules govern instead of the state cap.

AB 1482 does not apply to single-family homes and condos unless owned by a corporation, REIT, or an LLC with a corporate member; to owner-occupied duplexes; or to deed-restricted affordable housing. The Act is in effect until January 1, 2030. Not legal advice — see the California landlord–tenant guide.

Building characteristics
Units2
Floors2
Year built1907
Total area1,950 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusHome Owners
Blocklot1280018
Ownership

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

Owner name
Mailing address
Yut Dor Fong Trustee 1138 Cole St San Francisco CA 94117
Last sale

Landlord portfolio

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

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Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The two-unit multi-family residential building at 1138 Cole Street, located in the Parnassus/Ashbury Heights neighborhood, is a two-story flats/duplex structure built in 1907 and currently owned by the Yut Dor Fong Trust. The property has undergone two documented roofing projects, with the most recent being a $15,000 reroofing work permitted in 2011, while an earlier reroofing permit from 1990 is recorded as expired. A significant incident occurred in September 2002 when multiple violations were documented regarding unpermitted work, specifically related to unauthorized sewer line installations, though these violations were resolved by November 2002 following the issuance of Notices of Violation and a Final Warning Letter.

Recent external maintenance issues have been recorded through 311 calls, including a graffiti removal incident on a power line pole in November 2024 and reports of human/animal waste on the street in October 2020, both of which were resolved by city services. Additional historical records show a water leak issue was addressed in April 2012. The building's documented history suggests that while there were some regulatory compliance issues in the past regarding plumbing work in 2002, these were resolved within two months, and more recent building maintenance has generally followed proper permitting procedures, as evidenced by the 2011 reroofing permit. The property has had limited recent complaints or violations, with the most notable issues being related to street conditions rather than building-specific concerns.

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

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Risk rating

How 1138 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

Lower risk — safer than most nearby

DBI rarely finds violations here. Strong maintenance history and a clean complaint record.

Typical — about average for the neighborhood

Some past violations or complaints on record. Worth asking the landlord about any open issues before signing.

Higher risk — riskier than most nearby

Elevated violation and complaint history. DBI has found issues here before and is statistically likely to again.

Neighborhood percentile
60thpercentile

Out of 526 buildings in this neighborhood, 210 are predicted to be safer. The band is relative to this neighborhood, so a share of every neighborhood falls in each colour.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
82%
No DBI
violation
18%
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.

Estimated permit spend (past 7 years)

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

Building permits, owner's portfolio

Permits pulled across all of this owner's buildings over 7 years.

12-Month risk forecast
Low failure risk 18%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

1138 Cole St apartment reviews

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On the map

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The story over time

1138 Cole St event timeline

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

No dated public records on file yet.
Every record we have

Full data for 1138 Cole St apartments

13 SF public datasets for this parcel — permits, violations, complaints, fire records, 311 calls, planning records, and buyouts.

Side by side

How 1138 Cole St compares to the neighborhood

This building against comparable properties in Cole Valley/Parnassus Heights. Toggle filters to narrow the peer group.

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Cancel anytime · Data sourced from SF Open Data, DBI, SFFD, SF Rent Board & Planning

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