AG Kris Mayes sues landlords for leaving Tucson tenants without air conditioning

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes filed a lawsuit Friday against the owners and managers of three Tucson apartment complexes due to them leaving tenants without air conditioning.

The complexes were identified as Sedona Springs, Sienna Ridge and Summit Ridge. The suit named the complexes’ respective owners, members and managers, including Sedona Springs AZ, Sienna Ridge AZ, Summit Ridge AZ, DMR Sedona Springs AZ, DMR Tucson 1166, Tucson 1166 IG, Dasmen Residential and Luxford Living.

The complaint was filed along with an application for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction.

They allege that a pattern of neglect and deception has been occurring since 2023. This year specifically the complexes have allegedly struggled to cool apartments to 80 degrees or less as required by Pima County, with some being left without air conditioning since March.

Due to the lack of cooling, tenants have needed to rely on temporary, portable window units, which typically can’t cool more than one room at a time.

In fact, temperatures inside the complexes’ apartments have often exceeded 90 degrees, according to the complaint.

“All Arizona residents who enter into rental agreements deserve living conditions that meet minimal standards of habitability,” Mayes said in a news release. “The ongoing neglect Dasmen Residential and Luxford Living continue to display by failing to supply adequate air conditioning to residents at Sedona Springs, Sienna Ridge, and Summit Ridge puts residents’ lives at serious risk, especially during extreme summer heat.”

The alleged neglect also included broken windows, water and gas issues, structural problems and pest infestations. Mayes emphasized that none of these problems were disclosed to tenants when they signed their leases, which could violate the Arizona Consumer Fraud Act and the Arizona Residential Landlord and Tenant Act.

Mayes issued cease-and-desist letters to the complexes earlier in the year demanding owners to fix the habitability issues, but the temporary fixes were not found to be adequate.

In addition to the suit, the attorney general is seeking permanent injunctions requiring the complexes to make the necessary repairs and barring them from renting to anymore tenants until apartments meet legal standards.

The suit is also seeking restitution and civil penalties for residents affected by the problems.

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