Arizona AG sues Tucson landlords over inadequate AC, unsafe living conditions

For residents of three eastside Tucson apartment complexes, the Arizona attorney general’s lawsuit could determine whether their homes receive basic repairs, functioning air conditioning and safer living conditions. Attorney General Kris Mayes is suing the owners and operators of Sedona Springs, Summit Ridge and Sienna Ridge, properties managed by Luxford Living. The complaint alleges that tenants have repeatedly been left in apartments that do not meet local and state habitability standards, including the Pima County requirement that rental homes be capable of staying at or below 80 degrees Fahrenheit.

The allegations are especially serious during Tucson’s extreme summer heat. The lawsuit says indoor temperatures at some units reached as high as 98.8 degrees this summer. At Sedona Springs, about half of the complex reportedly lacked central air beginning in March, during a record setting heat wave. Portable window units were supplied or purchased in some cases, but the complaint says those devices often cooled only one room and did not provide an adequate substitute for central air. Pima County recorded 117 heat related deaths in 2025, including 49 that occurred indoors, adding urgency to the dispute over whether residents can safely cool their homes.

A Sienna Ridge resident identified as Zach told 13 News that his air conditioner has malfunctioned since he moved into the complex in February. During the hottest days, he said, his apartment approached 100 degrees. His household includes two young children, and he described the heat as affecting everyone’s health, comfort and temperament. To cope, the family has used fans, wet cloths and frozen rags. The lawsuit also alleges that residents throughout the three complexes have had to buy their own portable air conditioners and fans because management did not provide reliable cooling.

Cooling is only one part of the conditions described in the complaint and by residents. Zach reported severe damage to the structure at Sienna Ridge, including boarded windows and walls, plumbing and water problems, and vacant units that people have entered by breaking doors. He said he installed six inch screws in a door to try to prevent further break ins. Over the past year, 13 News also received reports from viewers describing periods without running water and roach infestations at the properties.

The attorney general’s complaint lists additional concerns at all three complexes, including recurring shortages of hot water, deteriorating plumbing, leaks, mold, crumbling walkways and stairs, rotting wooden balconies, unsafe or poorly maintained swimming pools and persistent pest problems. Tucson’s code enforcement unit has investigated about 130 complaints involving the properties since 2022. The complaint says air conditioning at Sedona Springs failed for an entire summer in 2022, while a tenant reported that hot water at Sienna Ridge had been unavailable for 11 months.

The properties’ tenant population makes the allegations particularly consequential. The complexes are among the relatively few in Pima County that accept Section 8 vouchers and other housing assistance. Many residents are veterans, older adults, people with disabilities or households living on fixed incomes. Those renters may have fewer options to move quickly, pay for temporary cooling equipment or absorb the costs associated with repeated maintenance failures.

The properties were acquired in 2017 by Dasmen Residential CEO Michael Katz and affiliated companies managed by his relative, Israel Katz. The attorney general describes the Delaware based parent companies as well funded corporate defendants and says the companies continued to neglect the properties after years of complaints. Mayes sent cease and desist letters to the complexes earlier this year, but the complaint says problems remained despite temporary measures such as window air conditioning units. She alleges that marketing materials and verbal assurances promised features including in unit air conditioning, round the clock onsite maintenance, balconies and well maintained swimming pools. The lawsuit claims those representations misled prospective tenants and violated the Arizona Consumer Fraud Act.

Mayes is asking a Maricopa County judge for permanent court orders requiring the owners and operators to complete repairs needed to comply with Arizona law. She also wants the companies barred from renting to new residents until the properties meet required standards. In addition, the attorney general seeks restitution of $10,000 for each willful violation of the Consumer Fraud Act and alleges that the landlords violated the Arizona Residential Landlord and Tenant Act by failing to make timely emergency repairs to essential services. The defendants did not respond to repeated requests for comment from 13 News or to a request from Courthouse News Service.

For tenants, the case represents a possible route to changes they say have not come through ordinary maintenance requests or local enforcement. Zach told 13 News he wants reliable air conditioning, improved maintenance, better living conditions and more responsive staff. The lawsuit does not itself resolve the allegations, but it puts the complexes’ cooling systems, repairs and management practices before a court. The next major question is whether the judge will grant the requested orders and what improvements, if any, the property owners make while the case proceeds.