Albuquerque launches dashboard to track repeat landlord violations

Albuquerque has turned its housing code into a public scoreboard, posting a dashboard that names 10 out-of-state or absentee landlords tied to more than 500 resident complaints and more than 300 housing code violations. City leaders cast the move as both a warning to repeat offenders and a tool for renters who want to know which apartment owners have a pattern of unresolved problems before they sign a lease.

The new Out-of-State Lazy Landlords List targets large residential properties owned by out-of-state or absentee entities that meet one of three thresholds: three or more open Uniform Housing Code violations within 12 months, 10 or more substantiated 311 complaints within 12 months, or a Notice and Order to Vacate or Repair in the past 24 months. City materials say the flagged properties have documented problems including unsafe electrical systems, persistent plumbing leaks, broken heating and cooling systems, mold, rodent activity and deteriorating living conditions. The city says the listings will remain up until all violations are fully resolved.

Mayor Tim Keller said the point is to stop landlords from thinking they can “live somewhere else and ignore the damage they cause in Albuquerque.” Jeremy Keiser, the deputy director of Code Enforcement, said property owners need to understand they are responsible for “the safety and well-being of the people living in their buildings.” The city says enforcement can include multiple daily fines when violations continue, notices and orders to vacate unsafe units or entire buildings, liens, legal action and more aggressive inspections for repeat offenders.

The dashboard fits into a broader push that began after City Council unanimously approved Resolution R-25-120 on March 17, 2025, and Keller signed it on April 3, 2025. That measure aimed to make it easier for tenants to report unsafe conditions and added enforcement resources for heating, cooling, electrical, plumbing, pest infestation and structural hazards. In 2025, Albuquerque recorded more than 2,111 housing code complaints, and 148 properties accounted for 40% of all Uniform Housing Code violations. City reporting also said eight owners were responsible for 8% of all violations.

The tougher posture continued in 2026, when the Rental Unit Habitability Enforcement Ordinance passed the City Council 6-3 on June 2, alongside a companion resolution that passed 5-4. The amended ordinance stretched the compliance window from 24 hours to 72 hours, set a $500 daily fine for unresolved life-safety violations and required relocation help if repairs take more than seven days. It does not apply to owner-occupied homes, short-term rentals, hotels or other transient lodging units. Albuquerque’s renters-rights page still directs tenants to call 311 or file online and points them to New Mexico Legal Aid, but the dashboard now makes one thing plain: the city wants chronic offenders identified, monitored and forced to fix the damage.