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609-615 Cortland Ave

Bernal Heights, SF 94110 5663038 3 units · 2 fl · 1908

This building has far more open problems than almost any other in the neighborhood. A handful of unresolved issues. Worth a careful walk-through and pointed questions.

NOVs (7y) vs. neighborhood
Compared to a typical building in Bernal Heights
At or below average
avg 1.2
1
FewerMore

This building has 1 novs (7y), at or below the Bernal Heights average of 1.2.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 609-615 Cortland 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
NC2
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 area3,180 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot5663038
Ownership

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

Owner name
Allison James & Lorraine H
Mailing address
710 25th St Sacramento CA 95816
Last sale
051005

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.

609 Cortland Ave, San Francisco, CA 94110
615 Cortland Ave, San Francisco, CA 94110
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The property at 609-615 Cortland Ave is a two-story multi-family residential building constructed in 1908 in Bernal Heights, containing three residential units and ground-floor commercial space. The building has undergone significant modifications over the years, including a major change of use from a meat market to a cafe in 2002, followed by extensive renovations including foundation work, fire suppression system installations, and electrical upgrades. The property has experienced recurring issues with boiler permit compliance, with violations recorded in 2005, 2015, and 2021, though these were eventually resolved. Recent maintenance history shows attention to infrastructure needs, including a 2010 boiler replacement and various plumbing and electrical upgrades. However, there have been multiple sewer-related incidents recorded through 311 calls between 2020-2024, suggesting ongoing municipal infrastructure challenges in the area.

The most recent building activities include a health department inspection in August 2024, though the specific outcome was not detailed in the records. A fire complaint from March 2020 regarding hood and duct service was deemed to have no merit. The property underwent an underground electrical conversion in 2005, and various repair works were completed through the years, including reroofing and sidewalk repairs. The ground-floor commercial space is currently permitted for restaurant use under NC-2 zoning, with the most recent planning approval for continued restaurant use granted to Trakarnwutikosol, Burin. While the building's age and history show regular maintenance and upgrades, the recurring boiler permit issues and recent environmental health concerns warrant attention to ongoing compliance requirements.

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

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Risk rating

How 609-615 Cortland 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
9th percentile

Out of 1276 buildings in this neighborhood, 1161 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
46%
No DBI
violation
54%
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.

Property class: apartment building

Apartment building — this property classification influences expected violation rates.

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 27.4%
Moderate concern 66.7%
Severe concern 5.9%
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

609-615 Cortland Ave event timeline

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

2026
311 Request Apr 24
Blocked sidewalk
lime seated scooter

See all 9 events

Full history back to 2020 — violations, complaints, permits, buyouts, and fire incidents.

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Every record we have

Full data for 609-615 Cortland 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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