» Facts & figures   » What it's like out      there   » Housing      discrimination   » Demands - What the      City should do   » What the City has      said they will do

» Who is the Lord of      the Slums?   » Props to your hood   » Organizing a tenants      association   » Volunteer or Donate      to the campaign

  » Photos from
     Press Conference
  » Acknowledgements
  » Main Page

Organizing a Tenants Association

Why Organize?

Tenants organize for a variety of reasons: to fight a rent increase, to improve maintenance and security issues, to prevent harassment or intimidation by the landlord, and to support each other. Often individual tenants do not have the resources to take on larger residential landlord corporations or management companies. However, tenants who join together have more resources and support at their disposal. A tenants association can also help build community. This sense of community comes from joining people together through activities such as organizing social events - lawn sales, barbeques and parties for special occasions - or self-help exchange programs like babysitting, house cleaning or car pooling. Tenants associations can also get involved in neighborhood issues such as traffic problems, bus routes or local development. The principle behind a tenants association is that people are stronger and more effective when they work together.

For more information, strategies and tips on how you can organize a Tenants Association in your building, download this excellent Tenant Organizing Manual put out by the Waterloo-based organization, Renters Educating & Networking Together (R.E.N.T.):

http://www.acto.ca/docs/RENT_Manual.pdf