City councilors to vote on proposed changes to A/C ordinance

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — With warmer weather on the horizon, some members of the Albuquerque City Council are pushing to tighten rules that protect renters from living in dangerously hot homes. The issue stems from a 2024 ordinance that already required rental properties to provide both heating and cooling systems.

The new amendments up for a vote aim to close what supporters describe as loopholes that allow landlords to rely on temporary fixes instead of repairing or replacing central cooling equipment. One key provision would bar landlords from using portable or temporary air-conditioning units as an acceptable substitute when a primary cooling system is out of service.

Another change under consideration would set a performance expectation for installed cooling systems: they should be capable of lowering indoor temperatures by 15 degrees when outdoor temperatures reach 85 degrees or higher. That technical requirement is intended to ensure units can actually keep living spaces at safer, more comfortable levels during heat spells.

Councilor Tammy Fiebelkorn, who advocated for stronger language earlier in the process, initially sought an explicit indoor temperature target of 80 degrees or below. That specific limit was removed from the first version of the ordinance to gain broader support, though Fiebelkorn has said she views the 80-degree figure as a reasonable baseline for safety and habitability.

The council will also consider several other items at the meeting, including proposals related to police union investigative procedures and measures to speed up permitting for housing projects in redevelopment zones. The session is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. Monday; the full agenda is available through the city’s public meeting materials.