Showing ordinances that apply to Sandia Heights, NM
Sandia Heights is an unincorporated community (population 3,273) in Bernalillo County, New Mexico. Because Sandia Heights is not an incorporated city, it does not have its own municipal code. Instead, Bernalillo County ordinances apply directly to properties here. The rental registration rules below are the ones that govern your area.
Bernalillo County does not have a mandatory rental registration program for standard long-term rentals. Only short-term rentals and mobile home parks face registration. State law NMSA §3-18-32 permits but does not require local rental inspection programs.
Unincorporated Bernalillo County does not require registration or licensing for long-term (30+ day) residential rentals. The City of Albuquerque within the County likewise has no mandatory rental registration — a proposal debated in 2022 did not pass. What IS required: short-term rentals (under 30 days) must register and collect Lodgers' Tax under City Ordinance §4-14 (ABQ) and similar County rules in unincorporated areas (Bernalillo County Code §30); manufactured/mobile home parks must register with the NM Regulation and Licensing Department under NMSA §60-14; federally subsidized units (Section 8, LIHTC) are inspected by HUD/NMFA. Landlords must still meet UORRA habitability requirements (§47-8-20): working smoke alarms, safe electrical/plumbing, weather-tight structure, and (for pre-1978 units) federal lead-based paint disclosure (24 CFR §35). Carbon monoxide detectors required near fuel-burning appliances and attached garages per 2018 IRC adopted by NM CID.
Operating unregistered STR: fines $250–$500 per day plus back Lodgers' Tax (ABQ §4-14). Renting uninhabitable unit (UORRA §47-8-20 breach): tenant may terminate, recover rent abatement plus damages. Missing smoke/CO alarms: code violation, fines up to $500 per device.
See how Sandia Heights's rental registration rules stack up against other locations.
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