How to Organize Your Building

What is a tenant union?

When individual tenants square off against a landlord, they are at an extreme disadvantage. Tenants have historically lacked the political and economic clout to defend their rights. Tenants’ power lies in the ability of tenants to organize. Our first goal in organizing is to build tenant unions as solid foundations of support which will ultimately be willing to act together (and rent strike when necessary).

Tenant associations may be the most effective way for tenants to improve housing conditions and stop a pattern of illegal landlord activity. The best, longest lasting, and most sustainable tenant association is one focused on a shared issue or grievance. 

Read the Madison Tenant Power handbook.

How to Form a Tenant Association

Step One: Getting Ready

1. Join Madison Tenant Power so that others can help you through the process. By getting organized, we can build the power necessary to challenge the status quo for all renters.

2. Gather informational materials about tenant rights and organization. Research your property, landlord, and property management company.

3. Find someone in the building interested in helping -- someone you trust who is as fed up as you are. Especially include long-term tenants. No one can form a union alone.

Step Two: Talking to Your Neighbors

1. Knock on doors or set up a table in a common area to talk to your neighbors in your building. 

2. Ask your neighbors about the issues they face as renters; spend more time listening to their problems than discussing your own. 

3. Collect your neighbors' contact information. 

4. Talk with your fellow canvassers about their conversations and adapt your goals according to responses from your community.

Step Three: Staying Connected 

1. Set up a system for tenants to stay in communication such as a WhatsApp group or Google Group. Use the channel to promote meetings, discuss building issues, and get to know each other. 

2. Pick a time and place to meet up. Find a time when most interested people can join (but don’t worry if not everyone can make it). Designate roles: facilitator, notetaker, someone to make an agenda; childcare, etc. Use this as a way to get people involved and invested in the process.

3. At your first building meeting, introduce yourselves. Get a sense for what the building-wide issues are, the kinds of issues that make people want to work together. Discuss what’s worked (or hasn’t) in the past when trying to get the landlord to do their job or to back off. Discuss on actions the community might take as a group to fix an issue. Set the next meeting.

Step Four: Taking Action

1. Decide on what action the community will take as a group to fix an issue. The TA should do whatever it sees fit to better the homes, lives, and financial situations of its members. 

2. Try some escalating pressure: send a collective demand letter, visit the landlord’s office or house, etc.

3. Connect with other buildings whether they already have formed TAs or need help in starting one. Connecting with other TAs in your neighborhood or city can be helpful in fighting for one common goal!

Further Reading:

• Repairs and Maintenance

• Agitational Organizing Conversation

• Basic Principles of Building or Neighborhood Organizing

• Tenant Problem-Solving

• Escalation Tactics