‘WE CAN UNIONIZE?!’: Tenants get rent cut in half after they form union to hit back at lazy landlord, and now minds are being blown

From essential day-to-day items to housing, everything costs a pretty penny nowadays. But what if someone told you there’s a way to cut back on one of your biggest expenses?

For a lot of tenants out there, complaining about their living situation can be a daunting task. Unfortunately, many people put up with faulty property for fear of being evicted or seeing their rent increase afterward. Not Jory and their neighbors, though. After getting fed up with the multiple issues in their apartment building — which had gone unaddressed by their landlord and property manager — TikTok user @alluringskull decided that enough was enough. And what’s the most effective solution to this kind of problem? Unionization, of course.

Some of the tenants organized, banding together to make formal complaints and sent them to City Hall. A hearing was scheduled to address these issues, however, in true lazy landlord fashion, neither he nor the property manager showed up. This means it was an automatic win for the tenants, who not only got their rent cut in half but are also now owed back pay for the four previous months.

I know what you’re thinking. Why did it take unionization for these complaints to be addressed? Well, it’s easy enough to sweep a tenant’s complaint under the rug, but when the noise is coming from multiple people, it gets harder to ignore. There is strength in numbers.

Jory’s TikTok video has gone viral on the platform, blowing some people’s minds with the discovery that tenant unions are even a thing. “……WE CAN UNIONIZE!?!?!?!?!” one user wrote, as another commented “Damn, I didn’t know this was possible! Amazing!” One person even made sure to jot down a reminder for future reference (“Get neighbors to unionize, noted”), while many others praised Jory and their neighbors for taking a stand: “This form of community is what I’m talking about!”

With rent prices skyrocketing, any measure that allows tenants some respite is welcomed. According to a report from the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University, 12.1 million households in the U.S. spent over 50 percent of their income on rent in 2022, way more than the recommended 30 percent maximum. If you think unionizing may help your situation, go for it! As per a survey published in the Georgetown Journal on Poverty Law and Policy, 31 states offer protections for tenant union organizing, so make sure to get familiar with the laws in your location.

Sadly, some landlords will do outlandish things to increase profit and lower expenses but don’t be afraid to stand your ground. There are legal ways to get back at them — this is just one of them.