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1234-1238 Cole St

Cole Valley/Parnassus Heights, SF 94117 1285016 3 units · 3 fl · 1908

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
Above average
avg 0.9
1
FewerMore

This building has 1 novs (7y), above the Cole Valley/Parnassus Heights average of 0.9.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 1234-1238 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 1908
2 or more units
3 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
Units3
Floors3
Year built1908
Total area4,440 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot1285016
Ownership

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

Owner name
Evans Fmly Tr
Mailing address
Evans Gary Richard & Kimber 1236 Cole St San Francisco CA 94117
Last sale
120817

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.

1238 Cole St, San Francisco, CA 94117
1236 Cole St, San Francisco, CA 94117
1234 Cole St, San Francisco, CA 94117
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The three-unit residential building at 1234-1238 Cole Street, located in the Parnassus/Ashbury Heights neighborhood, has undergone significant renovations and improvements since its construction in 1908. Most notably, there is an active major renovation project (permit #202403016944) in 2024 involving the removal of a wall between the kitchen and living room, conversion of bathrooms into full bathrooms, and a kitchen remodel with a cost of $120,000, which follows a series of electrical upgrades including the replacement of knob and tube wiring with modern electrical systems in 2021 and 2024. The building has experienced recurring plumbing issues, with multiple sewer repairs documented between 2021 and 2024, including a recent sewage back-up discharge incident in December 2024.

The property has a history of maintenance and improvement projects, particularly between 2012 and 2018, including kitchen and bathroom remodels, electrical system upgrades, and structural repairs. Historical violations from 2002-2005 indicate past issues with plumbing, interior surfaces, and electrical systems, though these were all abated by 2017. Recent complaints from 2023 and 2024 suggest ongoing concerns with building maintenance, including an inadequately maintained building exterior in July 2024. The building's systems have been updated to modern standards, with improvements to heating, plumbing, and electrical systems, including the installation of a new 200-amp overhead electrical service in 2018 and various apartment-specific upgrades between 2012 and 2024. While the property has undergone significant modernization, the pattern of ongoing maintenance issues, particularly with plumbing systems, suggests that the building continues to require active management and maintenance attention.

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

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Risk rating

How 1234-1238 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
60th percentile

Out of 526 buildings in this neighborhood, 210 are predicted to be safer.

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.

DBI tenant complaints (past 7 years)

Formal complaints tenants filed with DBI about this building over 7 years.

Building size

Total floor area — a proxy for building scale and the number of systems (plumbing, electrical, HVAC) that can fail.

Neighborhood location

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

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 72.2%
Moderate concern 21.7%
Severe concern 6.2%
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

1234-1238 Cole St event timeline

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

2026
Electrical Permit May 09
This is all the same apartment, same address. original permit 5/20/21 for complete re-model with sub-panel permit # ew202105205665. rough-in inspection passed on 5/28/21. changes made to rough-in and additional work. filed new permit ew202408200585. passed 2nd rough-in on 8/27/24. this permit is to re-instate previous permits and to obtain final inspection within 60 days.
Issued

See all 11 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 1234-1238 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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