Glendale apartment residents face sudden rent increases and eviction threats
Buenas Apartments residents face eviction notices following major rent hikes
Residents at Buenas Apartments face sudden rent hikes of hundreds of dollars and five-day eviction notices. FOX 10's Andrew Christiansen has more on the letter residents received.
GLENDALE, Ariz. - Tenants are being forced to vacate a Glendale apartment complex, and with only a few days notice.
Local perspective:
Glendale residents are devastated, with many tenants reporting they are paying their rent on time only to receive a letter stating their rent and fees increased by hundreds of dollars. The letter came with a warning that failing to pay within five days would result in eviction.
"How do you tell someone I'm going to kick you out, but I'm going to kick you out, and you have nowhere to go," said Shannon Price, a senior citizen and resident at Buenas Apartments.
Rising Rent:
According to Autumn Toms’ original lease, her rent and fees totaled $1,198. She then received a new letter stating she must pay $1,618, representing an increase of more than $400.
"I barely can cover my bills as it is," Toms, who is a single mother, said. "So when I received that notice I'm like, if this doesn't get fixed, I'm homeless with my two children. There's nowhere for me to go."
Other residents at the Buenas Apartments near 67th Avenue and Maryland, displayed similar letters indicating they owe at least $1,000 more than their usual payment amount.
Why you should care:
Many residents are on Social Security or government-funded programs, making the unexpected costs unaffordable, and leaving them unsure of what to do if evicted.
"The problem is, you have good people here right now, and if you help, we help. Why would you do that? Why? That's my answer the whole way through. Why?" said Price.
Price said her original lease with rent and fees were $1,068 a month. The new letter says she owes $5,065 dollars, a $4,000 difference.
Maintenance Issues:
Price has also had air conditioning issues since she moved in. Management gave her a portable chiller for her window, but she says filters aren't changed and anything outside, like smoke, can come in.
"It's coming into the apartment, you're inhaling it, so what happened was, that caused me to end up being sick," Price said.
Big picture view:
A lot of the neighbors also report that they have not had air conditioning for months, while some who do have A/C, report leaking vents. Residents are also dealing with roaches, toilet issues, and brown water, stating that management either ignores the problems or fails to fix them adequately.
Jacqueline Coleman said she's had issues with her water turning brown and her toilet backing up with feces.
"It was in both of my tubs and I had to take my kids up to QT to let them use the bathroom," said Coleman.
A Message to the Owners:
"My message to the owners is they better fix this because what they're doing is illegal, and you're hurting so many people by just….I don't even know what the motive is. How could you have so little empathy," Toms said.
Residents are hoping management will reconsider the fees and fix their maintenance issues.
"People living here are people who are here for a reason because we can't find other places, because we're struggling," Toms said.
Dig deeper:
Attorney General Kris Mayes previously announced a lawsuit against Buenas Communities LLC in August 2024 for "willingly neglecting to provide habitable living conditions for its residents," citing patterns of neglect and deception from the corporate landlord. Mayes sued the LLC over the insufficient air conditioning, bed bugs, and faulty plumbing.
What's next:
Outreach was made to the company that owns the Buenas Apartments and Mayes' office, but no response has been received.
Map of the area of the apartment complex.
The Source: Information in this report was gathered from Autumn Toms, a resident at Buenas Apartments; Shannon Price, a resident at Buenas Apartments; and Andrew Christiansen, a reporter with FOX 10 News.