We’ve represented tenant unions who are paying rent into court (the legal way to do a rent strike), helped them file fair rent commission complaints to freeze rent increases or address unsafe conditions, and supported tenant-led campaigns to improve local housing code enforcement and to cap rent increases and end no-fault evictions at the state level.

Tenants are stronger when they act together for their shared interest in safe and affordable housing and a say in how their building or community runs. A tenant union can be made up of tenants in a single building, who share a landlord, or who live in the same city or neighborhood, but the idea is that they make decisions together and act as a group. In Connecticut it is illegal for a landlord to raise your rent, evict you without a reason, or decrease the services you get within 6 months of you joining or organizing a tenant union.

The first step is to talk to your neighbors about what they’re experiencing, gather contact information, and call a meeting to get to know each other and hear if there are common concerns. Organizing typically starts with a small group and builds from there.