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279-283 Dolores St

Mission Dolores, SF 94103 3556027 3 units · 3 fl · 1911

This building has significantly more problems than most nearby buildings. A handful of unresolved issues. Worth a careful walk-through and pointed questions.

NOVs (7y) vs. neighborhood
Compared to a typical building in Mission Dolores
Above average
avg 2.9
3
FewerMore

This building has 3 novs (7y), above the Mission Dolores average of 2.9.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 279-283 Dolores 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 1911
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
Floors3
Year built1911
Total area5,781 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot3556027
Ownership

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

Owner name
John E Wai 1981 Lvg Tr
Mailing address
Wai John E Ttee Po Box 641045 San Francisco CA 94164
Last sale
030110

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.

283 Dolores St, San Francisco, CA 94103
279 Dolores St, San Francisco, CA 94103
281 Dolores St, San Francisco, CA 94103
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The three-unit, three-story multi-family residential building at 279-283 Dolores Street, owned by the John E Wai 1981 Living Trust, has undergone several significant maintenance and renovation projects since its construction in 1911. Most recently, in 2017, there were concerns about unsafe electrical work in the backyard area that was reportedly installed without proper permits, creating potential fire hazards. The building has experienced multiple violations and complaints between 2011 and 2016, including issues with broken windows, entry gate security, water damage, rodent infestation, and maintenance of window systems, though these violations were subsequently abated. Between 2003 and 2007, the building underwent substantial renovation work, including extensive electrical system upgrades (installation of lights, switches, receptacles, and circuits), a $12,500 kitchen and bathroom remodel in one unit, and associated plumbing work.

The property has also been the subject of multiple recent 311 calls (2024) regarding various maintenance issues in the surrounding area, including graffiti removal, sidewalk cleaning, and illegal parking, though these do not appear to directly relate to the building's condition. Planning records indicate past concerns about potential unauthorized short-term rentals, which were investigated and reportedly addressed by authorities. Fire safety records show three false alarms or false calls, though none resulted in civilian injuries and one fire-related complaint regarding blocked exits was promptly corrected in 2012. The building's most recent documented permits from 2015 and 2017 were for street space usage, suggesting limited recent structural modifications or major maintenance work.

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

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Risk rating

How 279-283 Dolores 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
15th percentile

Out of 799 buildings in this neighborhood, 679 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
35%
No DBI
violation
65%
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 (ZIP code)

The ZIP code captures local housing market and enforcement patterns that affect all buildings in the area.

Building size

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

Building permits, owner's portfolio

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

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 31.6%
Moderate concern 54.1%
Severe concern 14.2%
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

279-283 Dolores St event timeline

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

2026
Building Violation (NOV) May 20
Building violation
Located at ground level. make the necessary repair/replacement of hot water heater.
Building Violation (NOV)May 20
Building violation

See all 4 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 279-283 Dolores 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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