Tenants at Buenas Apartments in Glendale, Arizona, are facing eviction warnings after being told to pay rent and fees running into thousands of dollars by Tuesday, October 6, despite saying they had paid on time.
Residents say the demands appeared after the complex changed management and introduced a new online payment portal. They claim payment records and account ledgers were not transferred correctly, leaving them facing unexpected balances and five-day notices.
Shannon Price, whose lease runs until May 2027, said her monthly rent and fees were listed as $1,068 under the agreement. A new notice allegedly put the amount owed at $5,065 — a difference of about $4,000.
“How are you telling us that we owe this when you have no ledger?” Ms Price said.
Residents have also questioned how their payment histories disappeared during the switch to the new system. “How did it not transfer? What happened in that? So it’s a lot of things that are not adding up right now,” Ms Price said.
The tenants’ claims have not been independently established in court. Buenas Communities LLC and the new property managers, Apartment Management Consultants, were contacted for comment but had not responded by the time of publication.
Tenants say rent was raised during existing leases
Attorney Benjamin Taylor said a landlord generally cannot raise the rent in the middle of a fixed-term lease without a proper basis, even if a new owner or management company takes over. For tenants on rolling monthly agreements, he said, 30 days’ notice should be provided.
Residents say the disputed charges are unaffordable and fear losing their homes if they cannot meet the October 6 deadline. Tammy Gomez Burnette said: “If I known all of this, I would not have moved into these apartments.”
Alongside the rent dispute, tenants have reported inadequate air conditioning, mould, cockroaches, bed bugs and unresolved maintenance problems.
“There’s mold, there’s cockroaches, and when the maintenance guys do the work, they don’t do it right,” Ms Burnette said.
The dispute comes as Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes pursues a separate case against Buenas Communities over conditions at its Buenas on 32nd complex in Phoenix. The 2024 lawsuit alleges inadequate air conditioning, faulty plumbing, bed-bug infestations, broken windows and other failures to provide habitable accommodation.
According to the attorney general’s office, the state is seeking repairs, compliance with Arizona housing laws, restitution and civil penalties. Officials have said they are examining the concerns raised at the Glendale property but cannot comment on pending litigation.
“A lot of people feel this way because everyone’s going to be homeless, and that’s wrong,” Ms Burnette said.
