Rental company changes name, website after complaint about ASU trademark infringement

Infamous Tempe landlord Tim Wright appears to have had to change his company’s name, Rent Me ASU, likely due to pressure from Arizona State University.

Rent Me ASU has now become Rent Me AZU on the official website which has also appeared to have ditched the sun logo that was prominent on their signage and the website itself.

The Arizona Mirror has written about Wright, who is well known in Tempe and has a reputation among renters – particularly ASU students – for being hostile and litigious.

A request for comment and clarification on the name change sent to the company’s new email address went unanswered.

A spokesman for Arizona State University said the school could not comment on the matter.

However, a former employee of Wright’s may be the main reason why it came to the university’s attention.

“I don’t know who to direct this email to,” Gabby Wallace said in an email to ASU President Michael Crow that was supplied to the Mirror, “but wanted to bring it to your attention that (Wright) is using ASU on the sign for his business as well as signs in front of vacant houses and it makes it seem like it’s associated with your university.”

Constituent Communications Coordinator Sean Storrs replied to Wallace’s email thanking her for reaching out, adding that the university was updating its off-campus housing website to let students know Rentals Tempe is not affiliated with ASU.

Additionally, he told Wallace that ASU’s trademark and licensing department had been contacted to “see if there is any recourse on that front.”