In downtown Albuquerque, more than 75 renters at The Alvarado Apartments signed a formal demand letter accusing their management company, Apartment Management Consultants (AMC), of dangerous neglect, safety failures and “excessive” fees. They are demanding rent abatement and a written repair plan.
The Alvarado Apartments and AMC did not respond to requests for comment on the allegations. City Desk ABQ went to the apartment Friday morning after phone calls were not returned and was told by management that they’re not talking about the issues.
The letter followed 11 days without hot water in October. Residents also reported broken security gates, cockroach infestations, erratic water temperatures, hidden fees and an elderly resident who was hospitalized after falling on a persistent leak, according to the letter.
Tenants found communication with management frustrating and unhelpful. “They would say they were doing everything they could,” one resident said, describing the narrative during the outage. When residents wanted answers from property management, we were met with contention,” the demand letter states.
This fight exposes a critical enforcement gap: The Albuquerque City Council rejected the Rental Practices Ordinance. This rejection leaves the city without the power to act, trapping renters in a bureaucratic loop of state and local referrals.
The grievances
Neglect at the complex has become dangerous, according to the tenants’ letter.
The hot water outage in October was a tipping point for residents, forcing people like teacher Carla Humphris to take extreme measures.
While battling the flu, Humphris biked a mile daily to a friend’s house just to bathe. “I very quickly realized I cannot have cold showers, and the water was too cold for that,” she said.
Resident Isaiah Stewart said the water now fluctuates wildly, with a thermometer reading 130 degrees Fahrenheit, above the state recommendation of 120 degrees Fahrenheit to prevent scalding.
Although marketed as a gated community, security gates are often broken and no functioning cameras exist, tenants said. Both Humphris and Stewart reported thefts with no surveillance footage available. When Humphris’ bike lock was vandalized, management told her no cameras existed outside the property despite signs reading “Smile, You’re on Camera.”
Tenants also pay mandatory fees including $45 for trash and $60 for internet they cannot opt out of. “Every month I pay my rent and hundreds of extra dollars in fees,” Humphris said.
Infrastructure failures also caused injuries, including an elderly resident who broke two ribs after falling on a puddle from a leak management ignored. Stewart reported management “just filled the puddle with sand and called it fixed.” He and Humphris also said management removed entire staircases during unannounced renovations, which included replacing missing stairs with a ladder.
A national pattern
The Alvarado complaints mirror a pattern at AMC properties nationwide. Court records and tenant reviews across 30 states cite similar issues: extended utility outages, maintenance delays, pest infestations and undisclosed fees. The company’s annual report says it manages “923 properties encompassing approximately 158,000 units” in 26 states across the country. Its business model “emphasizes best in business profitability and valuation.
In Wyoming, a jury awarded $1.95 million after a student was exposed to carbon monoxide from a malfunctioning furnace. In Utah, the Supreme Court allowed a negligence case to proceed despite AMC’s attempt to avoid liability. In Arizona, AMC faces a price-fixing lawsuit covering 70% of Phoenix-area apartments.
Political Stalemate
The City Council rejected the Rental Practices Ordinance this week, which would have given the city power to cite landlords for violations. Opponents warned of “enforcement overlap.”
Despite the political setback, tenant organizing has led to small victories. Humphris said management now provides 20 hours’ notice before water shutoffs, a courtesy previously ignored.
“Conditions at my apartment complex have actually improved since we started organizing,” Humphris said.
Share this story and start a conversation
