City highlights ordinance requiring cooling systems in Albuquerque rental properties
Ordinance O-59 was passed by the Albuquerque City Council in December and requires all properties in the city to have functioning cooling systems, such as swamp coolers, central HVAC, mini splits, and window units.
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According to the city, this new law strengthens tenant protections and ensures safer, more livable housing during increasingly hot summers.
'Urban heat impacts, climate change have made it to where you cannot live in a home in the city of Albuquerque without a cooling system. You will be sick, you will have days off work, you will not be a productive member of society, and you will be miserable,' said City Councilor Tammy Fiebelkorn, who sponsored the ordinance.
Cooling devices like fans or portable air conditioners do not meet the requirements.
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