Organizing

Forming a Tenant Union or Association

Tenant Unions or Tenant Associations are groups of neighbors who come together to organize for their shared rights and needs. Like a labor union, a tenant union gives renters collective power to address issues with landlords and improve living conditions.

These groups can be based in:

  • A single building or apartment complex
  • Properties owned by the same landlord
  • A block, neighborhood, or even an entire city

What Can a Tenant Union Do?
Tenant unions can work together to:

  • Demand timely repairs and maintenance
  • Negotiate rent concerns or abatement
  • Improve safety and security
  • Advocate for better housing policies in their community

Read more about our organizing efforts here.

How to Get Started

  1. Talk to your neighbors — Start conversations about shared concerns.
  2. Form a small core group — Identify a few committed tenants to start organizing.
  3. Document tenant needs — Keep a record of problems, requests, and contact info.
  4. Choose a time and place to meet — Host an initial meeting that feels comfortable and accessible for everyone.
  5. Develop a strategy — Make a plan to raise concerns with your landlord collectively and keep growing the group.

You Cannot Be Evicted for Organizing.
Tenant organizing is protected by law. If your landlord tries to evict you because of your organizing activities, you can raise this as a retaliation defense in court. If successful, this protects you from eviction for at least one year. (See our section on Retaliatory Eviction for more details.)

United Tenants of Albany (UTA) supports the development of tenant unions. We can help your group organize, build power, and communicate effectively with landlords.

Interested in organizing your building or neighborhood? Reach out to Bebhinn Francis at Bebhinn@unitedtenantsalbany.org. We’re here to help you build tenant power!

Community Organizing

As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, United Tenants of Albany (UTA) cannot endorse political candidates or engage in partisan lobbying. However, we do engage in policy advocacy and education, working alongside tenants and coalition partners to advance housing justice and build tenant power at the local, state, and national levels.

How we Organize

  • Following tenants’ lead to win greater protections and rights
  • Educating the community about housing laws, rights, and political processes
  • Providing tools and support for tenants to participate in public hearings and campaigns
  • Coordinating with coalitions to build long-term strategies for structural change
  • Advocating for tenant-centered policies in Albany and beyond

Campaigns

Good Cause Eviction
  • 2021: The original Good Cause law was passed in Albany, protecting tenants from unjust evictions and capping rent increases at 5%. UTA, tenants, and Citizen Action played key roles.
  • 2022: The local law was struck down by the NYS court, which argued that the State must pass such a law, and that cities cannot do so on their own. The City of Albany attempted to defend the law and UTA submitted an amicus brief in support of the City’s case, but in 2023 a higher court denied Albany’s appeal.
  • 2024: UTA helped push for the statewide reintroduction of Good Cause in the NYS budget. The new version mandated NYC implement Good Cause and allows other cities to opt in. Albany was the first municipality in the state to adopt this updated version, helping set the tone for 16+ other localities.
  • 2025: UTA has been working with community organizers in Schenectady to win Good Cause at the municipal level.
Inclusionary Zoning
  • 2019: UTA and Housing For All (HFA) helped pass Albany’s first IZ law, requiring affordable units in developments of 50+ units.
  • 2023: The law was strengthened to require affordable units (60% AMI) in all new developments with 20+ units. UTA has continued to defend this legislation as a means of addressing the lack of dignified, affordable housing in our City.
Residential Occupancy Permits (ROP)
  • 1996: UTA helped establish the ROP system in Albany, which requires landlords to pass regular inspections to legally rent housing.
  • 2021: UTA successfully advocated to shorten inspection cycles from 36 to 24 months and link ROPs directly to eviction proceedings.
    • Today, landlords cannot bring a non-payment eviction if the unit lacks a valid ROP.
    • Tenants should see ROP certificates posted inside their buildings and can also check status on the Citizen Self Service Portal.
Citizen Self Service Portal
  • Developed through UTA advocacy and legislation sponsored by then-Common Councilmember (now Assemblymember) Gabriella Romero.
  • The portal allows tenants to look up rental units and see:
    • Code violations
    • Inspection records
    • ROP status
    • Unsafe/Unfit designations
    • Stop Work Orders
  • This promotes transparency and empowers tenants with information.
Eviction Prevention & Intervention Collaborative (EPIC)
  • 2022: UTA partnered with Legal Aid and Albany Law School to design EPIC, a program to address the massive imbalance of legal representation in eviction court (less than 3% of tenants had lawyers, while over 90% of landlords did).
  • UTA helped secure:
    • $100,000 from the City of Albany
    • $160,000 from Albany County
    • $75,000 from CARES of NY
  • However, in 2024, the County required that EPIC include landlord representation, which does not align with UTA’s mission. As a result, we withdrew from the application process.
  • Today, Legal Aid and Alternatives2Displacement administer the program with a focus on rental assistance and non-court-based mediation.
Rent Control & Rent Stabilization
  • UTA has pushed for rent control in Albany since the 1980s. After changes to state law in 2019, cities could finally opt in under the Emergency Tenant Protection Act (ETPA).
  • In 2023, UTA secured funding for a vacancy study, a required step for opting in. The City’s study, completed in October 2024, found a vacancy rate of 8.33%, above the 5% threshold.
  • UTA raised concerns about the study’s timing and methodology, advocating for a new independent study using $125,000 allocated for 2025.
  • Instead, the Common Council shifted that funding to support a broader “housing initiative,” and as courts continued to strike down other cities’ rent control laws, UTA’s base voted to pivot toward statewide reform and reinvest in organizing around deteriorating housing conditions.
Albany Landlord Report Card
  • Launched in 2023 by friends of UTA.
  • Visit AlbanyLandlord.com to search any address in the City of Albany and learn:
    • Who owns the building
    • How many evictions they’ve filed
    • Whether there’s a valid ROP
    • If any code violations or Unsafe/Unfit conditions exist
  • Landlords receive a grade (A–F) based on these factors.
  • This is especially useful for tenants wondering if they’re protected by Good Cause (e.g., tenants are excluded if their landlord owns only one unit in the building and lives there, unless the building has more than 10 units).
Housing Access Voucher Program
  • The Housing Access Voucher Program was introduced in 2019 to supplement Section 8 in NYS and support low income tenants that are homeless, or at risk of homelessness.
  • In 2023 and 2024, both the Assembly and Senate allocated funding in their One House budgets, but the final NYS budget was unable to secure the funding.
  • In 2025, UTA co-led the campaign for HAVP and was able to win funding for a $200M 4-year pilot program.
Rent Emergency Stabilization for Tenants Act
  • In 2024, the REST Act was introduced to make it easier for cities to opt into rent stabilization. UTA actively co-leads the campaign to win stronger tenant and rent protections.

Coalitions & Movement Partners

Local

Housing for All (HFA)

HFA has partnered with UTA on Inclusionary Zoning, affordable development projects in Albany and Bethlehem, and the creation of the Albany County Affordable Housing Trust Fund.

Albany Justice Coalition (AJC)

UTA members are active in AJC, which originated from the campaign for Proposal 7 and the Community Police Review Board. AJC continues to support housing protections and anti-displacement efforts.

National Union of the Homeless – Albany Chapter

In partnership with the Poor People’s Campaign, UTA works to build power among unsheltered and unhoused tenants, fighting policies that criminalize homelessness and harm our community.

Statewide

Housing Justice for All (HJ4A)

UTA is a core campaign leader in this statewide network of 80+ organizations. HJ4A’s priorities include:

  • Housing Access Voucher Program: A statewide rental subsidy for tenants facing eviction, homelessness, or domestic violence.
  • Expanding Rent Stabilization: Making it easier for upstate cities to opt into rent stabilization.
  • Additional platform priorities:
    • Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA)
    • Social Housing Development Authority
    • Expanding Good Cause Eviction
    • Rent Freeze (NYC specific)
Housing Courts Must Change (HCMC)

UTA serves on the steering committee, advocating for:

  • Right to Counsel in all eviction cases statewide
  • Winter Eviction Moratorium
  • Clean Hands Law (prohibiting eviction if there are code violations)

National

Right to the City Alliance

UTA is part of the Renters Rights Committee, supporting national campaigns to fight corporate landlords and real estate speculation.

Tenant Organizing

United Tenants of Albany (UTA) supports renters in forming Tenant Associations and Tenant Unions—powerful, collective tools for building tenant power, demanding better housing conditions, and creating change.

Tenant groups can be organized by: apartment building, housing complex, shared landlord, street, neighborhood or even citywide!

What Is a Tenant Union?

A Tenant Union is a group of renters who join together to negotiate collectively with their landlord. Much like a labor union, tenant unions use their collective voice to demand:

  • Repairs and building maintenance
  • Rent abatements or reductions
  • Increased safety and security
  • Long-term housing stability
  • Broader community improvements

How We Can Help

UTA works alongside tenants to build strong, sustainable tenant unions. Here’s what we offer:

  • Help organizing initial meetings with neighbors
  • Support in identifying shared housing issues
  • Guidance on documenting tenant concerns
  • Tools for planning and holding group meetings
  • Training on negotiation strategies and escalation plans
  • Ongoing support as you build leadership and structure

Our role is to support, facilitate, and empower—not to lead. We aim to help you create a tenant organization that can eventually operate independently.

Getting Started

The first step is simple: start talking with your neighbors. Form a small group, begin gathering contact info, and find a time and place to meet. Together, you can begin strategizing how to address the issues you’re facing.

Know Your Rights

You cannot be evicted for organizing.
Tenant organizing is protected by law. If your landlord attempts to evict you in response, you may be able to use retaliation as a legal defense. If successful, this protection can block eviction proceedings for up to a year. Visit our Know Your Rights page to learn more about Retaliatory Eviction protections.

Contact Us

Interested in starting or growing a tenant union? Reach out to:
Bebhinn Francis – Bebhinn@unitedtenantsalbany.org

We’re here to help you build tenant power and demand the housing you deserve.

Organizing projects we’ve participated in!

Ida Yarbrough Tenants Union, 260/270 North Pearl

(Spring 2025)

Danker Village Tenants Union

(Summer 2024)

2 Ahl Ave Mobile Home Community

(Fall 2023)

Livingston School Apartments Tenants Union

(Winter 2023)

The Parkview Tenants Association

(Spring 2023)

The Bleecker Terrace Tenants Association

(Spring 2022)