Residents of a central Phoenix apartment complex were notified at 10:23 a.m. on Aug. 26 that their water and cooling system would be shut off for roughly three hours for routine maintenance.
Almost five hours later, they were told the system was back on. That day, the high temperature reached 117 degrees in the Phoenix area.
Tenants say that problems with the cooling system are routine, only in the frequency of the failures. In a period of one week, residents said there were four shutdowns at the Rise Biltmore leading up to one of the hottest Septembers on record in Phoenix. Messages reviewed by The Arizona Republic show that management reached out on Aug. 1, Aug. 26, Aug. 27, Aug. 30 and Sept. 1 about shutdowns. In one case, it took more than
seven hours to restore service, according to resident accounts and message logs.
On Sept. 8, tenants were notified once again that a temporary shutdown was coming.
Tatiana Melendez circulated a petition among complex residents demanding a permanent fix for the chiller system after residents went several hours without water or cooling. The petition was sent to management on Sept. 10. She said fixes implemented by the apartment complex are temporary “Band-Aids” that don’t seem to bring long-term relief to tenants.
“They’re not fixing the underlying problem,” Melendez said.
When cooling systems fail in the Phoenix metro, heat can be dangerous. The city offers protection for renters when air conditioning or evaporative coolers at their property break, but experts say the process to seek remedies can be challenging and confusing for tenants.
A Rise48 Equity spokesperson, identified only by their first name, attributed the recent shutoffs to a problem with the water main, which impacted the centralized chiller system that serves the entire property. To fix the water main, the water had to be shut off. The spokesperson wrote that management tries to "immediately" address resident concerns at the aging property.
"I also think it's important to mention that we took on this building knowing there were going to be some challenges," the spokesperson wrote in an email to The Arizona Republic. "That's really how Rise48 has grown. We take on properties, put the investment and work into them, and genuinely turn them around. We are always actively addressing building infrastructure and other areas that had been neglected under previous ownership or have experienced wear and tear over time. Some of the work happening now is part of that process."
What's the risk from heat?
In 2025, Maricopa County reported 430 deaths in which heat exposure was a direct or contributing factor. It was the third-highest annual total in a decade.
About three out of four of those deaths occurred outdoors. But of the more than 100 deaths that occurred indoors, more than 70% happened when an air conditioning unit was broken or there was no electricity.
This year appears to be a more deadly year for heat than 2025, according to preliminary data from Maricopa County. As of Sept. 12, the county has confirmed 185 heat-related deaths and is investigating about 600 more. At the same time last year, the county had confirmed 100 deaths and was investigating roughly 400 more.
More than 35% of the confirmed deaths this year happened indoors.
Phoenix has an ordinance regulating how hot an apartment can get and how long landlords can take to make repairs. Air conditioning units have to cool apartments to 82 degrees or lower. Evaporative coolers have to cool to 86 degrees or lower. All cooling systems “need to be maintained in good working order.”
What are your rights?
Phoenix's Landlord and Tenant Program helps field questions about the obligations of property owners and other housing regulations. Although the program is focused on city residents, counselors won't turn away people calling from other Arizona towns and cities seeking assistance.
The program gets roughly 1,000 calls per month, said counselor Javier Guerra, although that number has been rising. Between July 1, 2025, and June 30, 2026, 8% of the calls to the program were related to air conditioner repairs, said Human Services Department Program Coordinator Jauron Leefers.
Landlords are obligated to keep cooling systems in good condition under the Arizona Residential Landlord and Tenant Act.
"They have to maintain and repair the unit," Guerra said. "So if a unit is working, and it stops working or it's not working properly, it is the landlord's responsibility to maintain and to make any repair that's necessary in order to keep that unit working in a good operating condition."
If that isn't done, tenants can seek certain remedies. They can call code enforcement to determine whether a violation occurred, go to court to seek an injunction to mandate repairs, or seek reimbursement for alternative housing while the cooling system is out.
Tenants can, in certain circumstances, also seek to terminate their leases. But Guerra urges caution.
"This is not a risk-free option," Guerra said. "We recommend to speak with an attorney because terminating a lease may have a financial impact on the tenants, depending on what the lease states."
The first step when a cooling system fails is to give written notice to your landlord, said Robin Dugas, an attorney at Cronus Law who works on tenants' rights issues. Dugas, a real estate lawyer who became involved in tenant law while working for Community Legal Services, said clients reported cooling problems every summer.
"I would say the second it breaks, notify the landlord," Dugas said. "The temperatures inside a home in Phoenix can rise 20 degrees in the scope of an afternoon without proper cooling, so in the summertime it's extremely dangerous."
She advises tenants to either hand-deliver the notice to their landlord or send it by certified mail. While some judges may accept more informal methods of communication, others have rejected arguments that a text or email notification satisfies notice requirements.
That notice should describe the problem, when the system failed and how long it's been out, and include the indoor temperature if the tenant has it. The temperature should be measured in the center of habitable rooms, three feet off the floor and not by a vent.
The notice should request immediate repair, or the lease will be terminated within five days. But there are actions tenants can take in the meantime, Dugas said.
"You don't just sit in your hot apartment for five days," Dugas said. "Especially once the temperature exceeds a certain amount, especially if you're elderly, or you have chronic illness, children. It is a health and safety issue."
Tenants can find alternative housing, like a hotel, and request a rent abatement for the days without air conditioning and reimbursement for any costs incurred, up to 125% of what they would've spent on rent for those days.
They can also go the "self-help" route, although Dugas said tenants should tread carefully. Buying portable air conditioning units or hiring a contractor to fix the air conditioning ends up saddling tenants with the cost, or worse, puts them at risk of eviction for potentially violating lease terms.
"It's a very cumbersome process, and if you don't follow it perfectly, you now have one or more cooling units that you purchased for yourself that you can't deduct from your rent," Dugas said. "There's nothing in the statute that automatically gets you a reimbursement for your excess utility charges, either, if you have to run all of those portable units."
She recommends submitting written notice first, then consulting an attorney, going to Community Legal Services or consulting with the city's Landlord and Tenant Program before attempting the "self-help" route. For tenants who can't afford the upfront costs of a hotel, Dugas urges them to get out of the heat at the city's cooling centers.
Dugas said she thinks many tenants are unaware of their rights. That's compounded by misinformation online, she added.
One urban legend is that Phoenix landlords have to fix a broken air conditioner within 24 hours. Dugas said there's also a misconception that tenants can withhold rent if their cooling system is out, which may be the case in other states but is not permitted in Arizona.
"The information they get online is often, unfortunately, the exact opposite of what the Arizona Residential Landlord Tenant Act provides for," Dugas said.
'Who wants to come home, in this extreme weather?'
Melendez moved into the property at the end of 2025. A few months later, in April, Melendez said the cooling system started having issues.
“We should’ve immediately noticed the red flags,” Melendez said.
Other tenants interviewed by The Arizona Republic confirmed the frequent shutdowns this summer. Long-term residents said cooling system failures happen every summer.
Melendez was drawn to the property's location, which she said is on a quieter street near bustling shopping centers. But she said property maintenance has been lacking. When the cooling failed, Melendez said her apartment reached up to 86 degrees.
“They’re kind of just letting the property lose its spark,” Melendez said.
After being offered a generous renewal deal, Melendez decided to renew her lease despite considering moving out. The week after she renewed, the cooling system was turned off four times. Every time, Melendez had to rush home to set up fans for her dogs, who she worries might overheat if service is lost. She also worries about infants and older residents at the property.
“I really just want for my AC to work all summer,” Melendez said.
Valerie Castañeda has lived at Rise Biltmore for three years. She pays a little over $1,300 for a one-bedroom apartment.
She’s planning to move back to her home state of Kansas soon, so she’s stuck with the property despite seeing what she describes as a decline in quality of life. It’s been difficult to find another apartment in the area with a similar price point, she said.
Castañeda said there’s been frequent turnover in the property’s management, and she’s concerned about the safety and livability of the apartment complex. When the water and cooling go out, Castañeda seeks refuge at her gym.
“Who wants to come home in this extreme weather?” Castañeda said.
Alaina Mencinger covers energy, tech and utilities for the Arizona Republic. Reach her at Alaina.Mencinger@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Cooling keeps failing at Phoenix rentals. Here's what can tenants do
