Attorney General Kris Mayes is again warning Arizona landlords of their responsibilities to keep rental units cool as extreme heat grips much of the state.
Mayes sent a formal demand letter this week to Spectra West Apartments in Glendale and management company, Asset Living, after residents reported the air conditioning in their units had not been working amid triple-digit July heat.
The letter gave management a Friday deadline to get the AC fixed. It also asked apartment managers to submit written proof of compliance to the Attorney General's Office. And it called for interim relief, such as portable air conditioning units or alternative housing options, at no cost to tenants.
“The dangerous conditions created through Spectra’s neglect places its residents at risk of serious injury or death,” Mayes wrote in the letter. “These risks are not speculative. Of the 430 heat-related deaths in Maricopa County last year, 111 involved individuals who were indoors with nonfunctioning or low-functioning air conditioning.”
The property management company, Asset Living, did not immediately respond to KJZZ’s request for comment, but told 12News it planned to cut ties with the property owner following the ongoing problems with the AC at the Spectra West Apartments.
Mayes has previously targeted other landlords for similar summer AC breakdowns, saying that failure to provide adequate cooling potentially violates the Arizona Landlord Tenant Act in addition to some local regulations. And she has urged Arizona tenants to file a consumer complaint with her office if their housing conditions are unsafe.
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