NEWS
City releases top 10 list of 'Lazy Landlords' properties
Rentals ranked by code violations, complaints and compliance history
They have names such as Villa Esperanza, Mont 44 and The Retreat.
In Zillow reviews, they are described as “the worst place to live” with conditions that “make Central look nice.” Reviewers often express that they wouldn’t live there “for free” and wish they could leave zero stars.
To the city of Albuquerque, the properties have another designation — they populate the . The rankings are based on the number of Uniform Housing Code and Integrated Development Ordinance violations, 311 complaints verified by code enforcement and compliance status with the city.
“Inclusion on the list may trigger elevated inspections, permit restrictions, additional fees, or, in severe cases, receivership or legal action,” the city said in a Monday news release.
Mayor Tim Keller said the top 10 designation was not about “putting someone on a ‘naughty list’ for the sake of it.”
“It’s about protecting families, strengthening neighborhoods, and making sure every landlord playing the long-distance shell game knows that Albuquerque takes housing safety seriously,” he said in a statement.
Between the properties, there were 300 code violations, more than 500 complaints to 311 and “severe life-safety hazards,” including exposed wiring, water intrusion, broken doors, compromised roofs and infestations, according to the release.
At least two property managers reached by the Journal said they had addressed the majority, if not all, of the complaints that led to their top-10 listing and were communicative with the city throughout the process.
One four-unit complex at 8500 Marquette NE, the smallest on the top 10, is also on the city’s top 15 “Problematic Properties” list and caught fire in April 2025, killing one person and injuring two others. Officials are seeking a hearing to demolish the building. A May 29 inspection found missing windows, signs of trespassing and human and animal waste inside.
Another listed property, the Barcelona Suites, was shut down by the city in May 2025, but a city spokesperson said a new owner bought the property and was trying to bring it into compliance and off the list.
Half of the images shared by the city in the release were of burned-out rooms and piled-up trash at the property on Marquette. The other photos show exposed pipes and unfinished plumbing at a few others.
The list comes on the heels of legislation passed by City Council that aimed to strengthen code enforcement on low-quality rentals and prioritize issues with heating, cooling and matters of safety.
In the release, the city said many of the property owners are based out of state and “have been unreachable for years, with official notices repeatedly returned as undeliverable.”
‘A reputation issue’
Most of the property owners could not be reached and did not respond to messages Wednesday. A few of the complexes didn’t have telephone numbers or emails on their websites, and some didn’t have websites.
In an emailed statement, Bobby Syharath, vice president of asset management at Community Preservation Partners, said the company was “committed to open communication with residents and to St. Anthony’s being a place people are proud to call home.”
St. Anthony’s apartments, near Indian School and 12th, is a 160-unit complex listed at No. 4, with two open UHC violations, six corrected and 97 complaints to 311.
“A recent routine fire inspection identified some code violations, which were quickly and fully addressed,” according to the statement. “Additionally, we have on-site staff available to address maintenance issues as they arise.”
A leasing agent who answered the office phone at Mont 44 said she didn’t have the property manager's number.
Laguna Properties Asset Manager Shawn Snow, who oversees Mont 44 and the Canyon Crest complexes, called to say he was embarrassed and mortified to be on the list. Much less at No. 1 and No. 5, respectively.
Snow said they were working to improve the properties and recently signed a new management company, but it had been an uphill battle since acquiring them in 2021. He said several fires had destroyed two buildings at Canyon Crest.
“This property, when we acquired it, already had kind of a reputation issue from the previous owners, because they just hadn't invested in it in decades,” he said. Snow said many of the 124 complaints had been addressed, but residents had grown quicker to call 311 over maintenance.
“I think a lot of people just know, hey, that’s going to be the best way to get somebody’s ear,” Snow said.
Snow said they are renovating the entire complex, including full-site landscaping, and will install fencing and boost security. He added, “the property that you see now is not going to be property you see six months down the road.”
Snow, whose company manages 20 to 30 properties in a handful of states, batted back suggestions that he was hard to reach. He said he “proactively” flew out to Albuquerque last year and met with city officials and police and fire departments.
“Just to kind of head off and say, ‘Hey, we’re good actors, we know there’s a lot of calls coming from the property, what can we do?’ We put a plan together, and we’ve been executing it ever since,” Snow said.