GLENDALE — Tenants at a west Glendale apartment complex say they were blindsided this week by letters that sharply raised what they owe each month and warned that anyone who could not pay within five days could be evicted, FOX 10 Phoenix reported Sunday.
The residents live at Buenas Apartments near 67th Avenue and Maryland Avenue. Several showed the station letters listing new totals for rent and fees that were at least $1,000 higher than their usual payment.
Autumn Toms, a single mother of two, told FOX 10 her original lease put her rent and fees at $1,198 a month. The new letter, she said, lists $1,618, an increase of more than $400. “If this doesn’t get fixed, I’m homeless with my two children,” she told the station.
Shannon Price, a senior who lives at the complex, said her lease amount was $1,068 a month, but her letter says she owes $5,065. Many of the affected tenants rely on Social Security or other government assistance, residents told FOX 10.
Repair complaints, too
Tenants also described long-running maintenance problems. Some said they have gone months without working air conditioning in a summer when Valley highs regularly topped 110 degrees, while others reported leaking vents, roaches, backed-up toilets and brown water. Price said management gave her a portable window chiller instead of a repair, and that outside smoke now drifts into her unit.
The complex is operated by Buenas Communities LLC, according to FOX 10. In August 2024, Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes sued Buenas Communities over conditions at a different property, the Buenas on 32nd complex in Phoenix, alleging inadequate air conditioning, bed bugs, faulty plumbing and retaliation against tenants who complained, according to a press release from the attorney general’s office. That case sought repairs, restitution and civil penalties.
FOX 10 said it contacted the company and the attorney general’s office about the Glendale letters and had not received a response. Thee Arizona Times was unable to reach the company Sunday evening.
What renters can do
Arizona’s Residential Landlord and Tenant Act sets rules for rent changes, notices and evictions, and an eviction can only be carried out through a court case. Renters who receive a notice can find free legal help through Community Legal Services or the state’s eviction resources at azcourthelp.org. Consumer complaints about landlords can be filed with the Arizona Attorney General’s Office at (602) 542-5763.
Photo: Unsplash License (free to use). Generic housing photo; not the Buenas Apartments complex.