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City Escalates Enforcement at Mont44 Following Tenant Complaints
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City Escalates Enforcement at Mont44 Following Tenant Complaints

Coordinated inspection finds widespread health and safety violations at property on City’s Landlord List.

September 23, 2026
The City of Albuquerque is escalating enforcement at Mont44 Apartments after a coordinated inspection uncovered widespread health and safety violations at the 241-unit complex, which was previously named to the City’s Out-of-State Lazy Landlord List.
City’s Code Enforcement began a series of inspections on Saturday, September 19, after tenants organized and raised concerns about conditions across the property, located at 4401 Montgomery Blvd NE. Inspectors identified violations involving sewage and sanitation, structural deterioration, electrical hazards, inadequate weather protection and other basic health and safety requirements.
Notices of Violation will be issued to the property owner, requiring the violations to be corrected or appealed within 15 days. While property management has committed to address some of the conditions identified by inspectors, the City will require documented efforts toward correcting the violations and will continue inspections to verify compliance.  
“When we launched the Lazy Landlord List, we said it wasn’t just about naming names, it was about accountability,” said Mayor Tim Keller. “Tenants spoke up and the City showed up because no one should have to live with sewage, dangerous living conditions while an out-of-state owner collects rent.
“Code Enforcement has been out there numerous times for individual tenants over the years. This is the first time that the tenants have grouped together to speak with one voice and we were happy to support them and help improve their living conditions,” said Planning Department Director Alan Varela. “We will require corrective action and continue inspections to make sure these conditions are addressed.”
"There is power in numbers," said Dorian Vela, Mont 44 resident. "Our power that we are gaining is because of those numbers."
Inspectors documented violations across the property including:
  • Structural hazards: damaged roofs, walls, ceilings, floor supports, porches and balconies.
  • Inadequate sanitation: defective plumbing, sewage leaks, missing or inoperable ventilation equipment, water damage, insect and rodent activity, pigeon intrusion, animal feces, excessive trash accumulation.
  • Fire and electrical hazards: defective and inadequate electrical lighting, exposed wiring, burnt and loose electrical outlets, inoperable outlets, missing electrical panel covers, and nonfunctioning GDCI outlets, and missing or nonfunctioning smoke alarms.
  • Habitability concerns: inadequate air conditioning systems and thermostats, damaged doors and windows and deteriorating or ineffective weather protection
  • Property compliance violations: operating without a Certificate of Occupancy, construction without required permits and inadequate property maintenance.
  • Inadequate exits: blocked or restricted access due to debris and trash.
Over the past two years APD’s calls for service at the Mont44 Apartments has been over three times higher than other apartment complexes in the area. In 2025 APD received 372 calls for service and made 24 arrests. So far in 2026 there have been 400 calls for service and 45 arrests made.
The coordinated inspection follows a documented pattern of complaints at Mont44. Code Enforcement has received 76 complaints related to the conditions of the property since June 2025. When the City launched its Out-of-State Lazy Landlords List in June 2026, Mont44 was among the properties identified because of chronic complaints and housing violations.
The Out-of-State Lazy Landlords List identifies large residential properties owned by landlords who live outside New Mexico and have repeatedly failed to maintain safe, healthy, and code-compliant housing.
The initiative is designed to move chronic problem properties from identification to enforcement and ultimately into compliance, while giving tenants greater transparency about conditions and enforcement activity at their properties.
For more information and to view the Out-of-State Lazy Landlords List visit: https://www.cabq.gov/planning/code-enforcement-zoning/out-of-state-chronic-offenders-initiative