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1278-1280 17Th Ave

Inner Sunset, SF 94122 1734022 3 units · 2 fl · 1908

This building has significantly more problems than most nearby buildings. Few open issues; problems get fixed quickly. A reasonable bet for a smooth tenancy.

NOVs (7y) vs. neighborhood
Compared to a typical building in Inner Sunset
At or below average
avg 1.1
0
FewerMore

This building has 0 novs (7y), at or below the Inner Sunset average of 1.1.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 1278-1280 17Th 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 1908
2 or more units
3 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
RM1
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
Floors2
Year built1908
Total area4,000 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot1734022
Ownership

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

Owner name
Ho Eddy C & Wong Cindy W
Mailing address
1278 - 1280 17th Ave San Francisco CA 94122
Last sale
020414

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.

1278 17th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94122
1280 17th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94122
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The property at 1278-1280 17th Avenue in the Inner Sunset is a two-story, three-unit multi-family residential building constructed in 1908, currently owned by Eddy C. Ho and Cindy W. Wong. The building underwent significant construction work in the early 2000s, including a major project in 2002 that aimed to convert ground floor residential units into a garage and add a third story, costing approximately $80,000. This project generated multiple permits and inspections, with some experiencing expiration and renewal processes over the years. Between 2005 and 2012, the property faced several serious issues regarding unauthorized construction and safety concerns, particularly involving the rear building/structure. Multiple building violations were recorded in 2005, including exceeding the scope of approved permits, unauthorized construction, and possible unlawful demolition, all of which were eventually abated by June 2012. These violations were significant enough to result in complaints of an "unsafe building" status in September 2005.

The property underwent final inspections for various permits in 2009, with both electrical and plumbing permits being successfully completed. Historical records show the building experienced some structural maintenance needs, including termite repairs in 2002 and wood member replacement work in 2005. More recent history shows minimal issues directly related to the building itself, though there have been occasional neighborhood parking enforcement matters in 2018, 2022, and 2023. The building's permit and violation history reveals a pattern of construction work and associated regulatory challenges primarily between 2002-2012, with subsequent years showing more typical permit closure and maintenance activity, and no active building violations as of the most recent records.

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

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Risk rating

How 1278-1280 17Th 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
19th percentile

Out of 1493 buildings in this neighborhood, 1209 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
63%
No DBI
violation
37%
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.

Neighborhood location

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

Building age

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

Building size

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

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 47.8%
Moderate concern 30.4%
Severe concern 21.7%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
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The story over time

1278-1280 17Th Ave 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 1278-1280 17Th 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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