Interested in organizing your building?
Starting a tenant union—unlike starting a labor union—requires no formal process. This means that anyone can organize their building, with as many or as few people as want to join. The “process” is as simple as talking to your neighbors and deciding to call yourself a tenant union. If you need help getting organized, we recommend reaching out to the following organizations:
And of course, you can always reach out to us at BSTA. We are more than happy to help others get organized.
Why should I organize?
In short, there is power in numbers. Landlords are able to ignore and exploit tenants because they are not used to pushback. By forming a tenant union, you and your neighbors are standing up for yourselves and demanding fair treatment.
Tenant unions do not currently have the same rights and power as labor unions. But if enough people organize, they will. Remember, labor unions were not legally recognized until about 100 years ago. Workers joined together and demanded recognition until they received it. Tenant unions are currently doing the same thing.
Find your landlord
Many landlords hide behind mysterious LLCs to avoid accountability. Search your building address on the Cook County Assessor’s site to track them down. If you find a match, scroll to the bottom of the search results and click “Access more in-depth property details here.”
Use the PIN assigned to your building to look up the building deed on the Cook County Clerk’s website.
What is a rent strike?
A rent strike is when tenants agree to withhold rent in order to have their demands met by their landlord. During the strike, tenants accumulate rent in order to pay it to the landlord at the conclusion of the strike.