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1201-1205 South Van Ness Ave

Inner Mission, SF 94110 3641035 4 units · 3 fl · 1900

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 Inner Mission
At or below average
avg 2.6
1
FewerMore

This building has 1 novs (7y), at or below the Inner Mission average of 2.6.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 1201-1205 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 1900
2 or more units
4 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
Units4
Floors3
Year built1900
Total area5,424 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot3641035
Ownership

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

Owner name
Wang Josephine Trust
Mailing address
Josephine Wang Trustee P.O. Box 571 Monrovia CA 91017
Last sale
000000

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.

1205 South Van Ness Ave, San Francisco, CA 94110
1203 South Van Ness Ave, San Francisco, CA 94110
1201 South Van Ness Ave, San Francisco, CA 94110
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The three-story multi-family residential building at 1201-1205 South Van Ness Avenue in the Inner Mission, owned by the Wang Josephine Trust, has a complex history dating back to its 1900 construction. The property consists of 4 units and includes a retail space. Recent significant issues have centered around unauthorized modifications and safety concerns, particularly involving a garage conversion into a walk-in cooler and food storage area, which has led to multiple Notices of Violation (NOVs) in 2024 (most recently filed in June 2024), including concerns about dry rot at the rear of the garage. The building experienced structural concerns in 2022 with multiple complaints about back stairs construction, though these issues are now shown as "Not Active." In 2023, there was an administrative complaint regarding a replaced garage door opening and its impact on neighborhood parking.

The building has undergone several legitimate modifications and maintenance work over the years, including a complete reroofing project in 2023 costing $27,000, and historical structural improvements such as shear wall replacement in 1985 and rear stairs repairs in 2004. A series of violations from 2004 related to fire safety, security requirements, and gas utility shutoffs were resolved within a few months. During 2024, multiple permits were obtained to address various compliance issues, including the legalization of walk-in cooler units, installation of floor sinks, and electrical work, with some of these permits still in process as of late 2024. The property has also experienced recurring issues with garbage and debris in the surrounding area, as evidenced by multiple 311 calls throughout 2024, though most were resolved promptly. A sidewalk tree issue was reported in July 2024 and remains open as of January 2025.

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

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Risk rating

How 1201-1205 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
17th percentile

Out of 2380 buildings in this neighborhood, 1975 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
40%
No DBI
violation
60%
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.

Number of units

The number of units affects how the model reads complaint and violation totals — more units means more potential sources.

Director's hearings (past 7 years)

Director's hearings are escalated enforcement actions for buildings that haven't resolved violations — a serious signal.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 19.2%
Moderate concern 67.0%
Severe concern 13.8%
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

1201-1205 South Van Ness Ave event timeline

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

2026
311 Request Jun 07
Sidewalk defect
lifted sidewalk tree roots
311 RequestJun 07
Sidewalk defect

See all 16 events

Full history back to 2022 — violations, complaints, permits, buyouts, and fire incidents.

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Every record we have

Full data for 1201-1205 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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Cancel anytime · Data sourced from SF Open Data, DBI, SFFD, SF Rent Board & Planning

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