You aren’t alone. Millions of Americans are struggling to pay their rent right now. While there’s a temporary pause on evictions in North Carolina, it's a fact that thousands of people will face eviction in the months ahead.

But there’s a way to protect yourself and your neighbors. Across the country regular people are joining together to demand a fair solution to this housing crisis. These groups are called tenants councils or tenants unions; they allow groups of neighbors to present unified demands to landlords and local governments. Working together in a tenants council amplifies the voices of renters and achieves better results than fighting alone.

Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) is providing support to people who want to start tenants councils in the Triangle. We provide materials, training, and advice to help you start a council. We can also help you research your landlord and plan a strategy to fight against unfair renting practices. If you’re interested in working with us, or what to learn more, fill out this form and we’ll reach out to you as soon as possible.

FAQ

What is a tenants council?

A tenant council is a group of neighbors (who share the same landlord) who join together with a set of demands. The landlord can ignore one person easily. It’s harder for them to ignore many people working together.

You’ve probably heard of “unions” or “labor unions,” which are groups of workers who join together to fight for better pay and working conditions. A tenants council is similar, but for people who pay rent to the same landlord. Labor unions sometimes collect money from their members, but a tenants council will be free to join.

What kinds of things can a tenants council do?

A tenants council could demand landlords to make essential repairs, that they limit rent increases, or even reduce rent. Right now, when many people can’t pay rent because of the COVID-19 crisis, a Tenants Union could demand that landlords waive rent, don’t collect back rent, and don’t evict anybody who can’t pay.

How does a tenants council form? Is it a legal entity?

All that’s needed for a tenants council is for a few people with the same landlord to decide to join together. However, your council will be much stronger if more people who rent from your landlord join it.

Will having a tenants council mean that I can’t be evicted?

Not necessarily. Winning the fight against evictions requires that enough tenants join together in the tenants council and persist in their action.

What’s DSA and what does it have to do with my rent?

DSA stands for Democratic Socialists of America. You can read more about us here. We’re regular people who believe that the economy can be run more fairly, so that working people can survive and thrive in this country. We know that the COVID-19 crisis has caused hardship for many working people, and we are going to fight to make sure that nobody loses their housing just because they were out of work for a few months. This is a great example of why “socialism” isn’t as scary as some people think it is. We’re not trying to take away your stuff, actually we’re trying to make sure rich landlords DON’T take away your stuff.

Will DSA make a tenants council for me?

DSA believes that people need to form their own councils. We can offer materials, training, support and advice to help you start a tenants council. We can also help you research your landlord to find out what other properties they own. But DSA doesn’t have lawyers, staff, or money to fight for you. Instead, we’ll help you prepare to fight for yourself.

I’m interested in starting a tenants council and I’d like to get some help. How can I start?

You can get in touch with us by filling out this form. Once you’ve filled it out we’ll get in touch with you as soon as possible to set up a conversation about what we can do to help. You can also read our tenant organizing guide here.