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696-698 South Van Ness Ave

Inner Mission, SF 94110 3575019 2 units · 2 fl · 1910

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 Inner Mission
At or below average
avg 2.6
0
FewerMore

This building has 0 novs (7y), at or below the Inner Mission average of 2.6.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 696-698 South Van Ness 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 1910
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 built1910
Total area3,000 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusHome Owners
Blocklot3575019
Ownership

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

Owner name
Joe & Julie Sarantis Tr
Mailing address
Joe N Sarantis Trustee 4855 Fairway Dr Rohnert Park CA 94928
Last sale
061319

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.

698 South Van Ness Ave, San Francisco, CA 94110
696 South Van Ness Ave, San Francisco, CA 94110
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The property at 696-698 South Van Ness Avenue is a two-unit duplex located in San Francisco's Inner Mission neighborhood, constructed in 1910 and currently owned by Joe and Julie Sarantis Trust. The building has undergone several significant maintenance and improvement projects over the past decades, with the most recent major work occurring between 2013-2014 including repairs to balconies and rear decks due to dry rot issues, plumbing upgrades including a new water heater and roof drain, and electrical improvements such as replacing a 50-amp sub-panel. Historical improvements include a kitchen remodel in 2004, window replacement in 1999, and foundation bolting in 1992, though a reroofing permit from 1997 was listed as expired.

Recent activity at the property has primarily involved external maintenance and street-related issues, with nine 311 calls recorded between November 2024 and December 2024, mostly concerning garbage and debris on the street and sidewalk, though these are more reflective of street conditions rather than building maintenance issues. There was a lead abatement complaint filed in July 2014, though its status is listed as not active. The building previously had an illegal billboard incident in 2011, which was promptly addressed, and the voluntary removal of a nonconforming billboard sign was completed in 2014. The property is currently approved for a two-unit condo conversion, indicating potential future changes to ownership structure or unit configuration. While the building has required various repairs and updates over the years, there have been no recent records of major safety concerns or building code violations. The most recent infrastructure works were primarily focused on ensuring basic utilities and systems were up to standard, including electrical, plumbing, and structural components.

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

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Risk rating

How 696-698 South Van Ness 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
78th percentile

Out of 2380 buildings in this neighborhood, 524 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
79%
No DBI
violation
21%
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.

Neighborhood location

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

Construction spend, owner's portfolio

Estimated permit value across all of this owner's buildings.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 62.2%
Moderate concern 19.4%
Severe concern 18.4%
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

696-698 South Van Ness Ave event timeline

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

2026
311 Request Jun 16
Not offensive
pole
311 RequestJun 16
Offensive

See all 5 events

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

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Every record we have

Full data for 696-698 South Van Ness Ave apartments

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

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