Albuquerque’s new cooling ordinance faced its first major test this summer, as city inspectors cracked down on landlords failing to provide working air conditioning during extreme heat.
The city’s response at The Retreat at Candelaria in July marked a shift in how it enforces Albuquerque’s six-month-old cooling ordinance. After weeks of tenant complaints and indoor temperatures hitting over 90 degrees, inspectors cited the complex, ordered repairs and gave management until August to fix the problems. The issue signaled a shift from warnings to enforcement as the city began holding landlords accountable for their actions.
“We knew that it’s dangerous when it’s this hot to not have cooling. People literally die from heat stroke. Do we want children and elders sitting in basically ovens in their own home? No, we don’t,” said City Councilor Tammy Fiebelkorn, who sponsored the ordinance. “That is why we pushed so hard to make sure that this cooling requirement is in law.”…