Having trouble with your landlord? Here’s how to organize a tenant union in Kansas City
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‘Landlords, we’re coming for you’
Some may question their tactics, but KC Tenants and its founder are making their mark.
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Leaking faucets. Skyrocketing rent. Unresponsive property managers.
These issues are common for renters both within and beyond Kansas City. Kansas City’s citywide tenant union wants renters to know that banding together can be a potential solution.
KC Tenants organizes tenants in various neighborhoods, complexes, and even specific buildings to fight back against unfair practices and neglectful landlords.
If you’re a renter seeking solidarity and support, forming or joining a tenant union may be an option.
What is a tenant union?
“A tenant union is really just an organization of people who come together to get things done collectively that they couldn’t get done alone,” said Gabe Coppage, an organizer with KC Tenants and a member of the Midtown Tenant Union.
There’s no regional or national organization that oversees tenant unions the way the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) oversees labor unions around the country. That means that no “official” recognition is required in order for your union to be legitimate and impactful.
How do I organize a tenant union?
It’s easier than you think to form a tenant union in Kansas City. All it takes to get started is having some conversations with your neighbors about what changes they’d like to see in your building, neighborhood or even the city as a whole.
“Tenant unions provide a bigger voice than each tenant can have alone,” said Jeri Bridwell, an organizer with the Midtown Tenant Union. “It’s all about tenants having more power and people having more of a voice in how they live and where they live.”
While it’s not required to seek “official” recognition for your union, many tenant groups in Kansas City turn to KC Tenants for support in their organizing efforts. The group has helped tenants canvas their neighborhoods, attend community hearings on new development projects and more.
Can I get in trouble for organizing a tenant union?
In Kansas City, it’s illegal for a landlord to retaliate against you simply for organizing with other tenants. They also can’t take action against you for asking about repairs or reporting building code violations. But tenants in the rest of Missouri don’t have many ingrained protections under the law.
“Missouri doesn’t have any additional rights other than what’s granted to us on the federal level,” Wilson Vance, an organizer with KC Tenants, told The Star in December. Federal law prohibits housing discrimination based on race, gender, religion and other protected identity categories, but it doesn’t explicitly protect tenants’ right to organize collectively.
Is your landlord retaliating against you for organizing with your neighbors for asking about things like building repairs? Tell The Star what’s going on by emailing kcq@kcstar.com.
Starting this summer, legal help is available to all tenants facing eviction in Kansas City. You can find out more here.
How can a tenants union get action from landlords?
Usually the process starts with a group of tenants creating a written list of demands. One tenant with legitimate complaints about building safety, high rent, maintenance issues and other harmful practices is easy to ignore. An organized group of tenants with a list of specific demands is a lot more likely to bring a landlord to the negotiating table.
“Having been a tenant all my life, part of the reason I got involved is because I’ve just seen so many landlords that do unethical things,” said Bridwell. “Being slumlords, having buildings that have trouble and they never fix the trouble. There’s a lot of inequalities between landlords and tenants… [and] the tenants end up at the short [end of the] stick.”
According to Coppage, some interpretations of the city’s Tenants’ Bill of Rights state that a landlord is required to meet with tenants to discuss their demands.
One important tip: While you’re negotiating with your landlord about your living conditions, the Heartland Center for Jobs and Freedom advises that tenants should not withhold rent. This could give landlords a legal opening to begin eviction proceedings.
How can a tenants’ union get action from developers and city government?
Much of the work KC Tenants and their affiliated unions do is focused on citywide housing policy. Organizers attend hearings, testify at meetings and contact representatives about proposed new developments and housing affordability.
Last week, KC Tenants members and others successfully compelled the City Council to divert millions of tax incentive dollars to fund affordable housing, rather than giving it to Chicago-based real estate developer MAC Properties.
In organizers’ view, unchecked development leads to gentrification that drives up the cost of living and displaces those who can’t afford to stay in their homes. They hope to eventually establish local tenants as a powerful group in the eyes of developers.
“Neighborhood associations have an inherent institutional power, and developers know that they have to meet with [them],” said Coppage. “They should feel like they have to meet with the neighborhood tenant union in the same way.”
Where can I get help and information on organizing for myself and my neighbors?
KC Tenants provides information and support to tenants around the metro area. Fill out their contact form here to get involved and learn more about unionization. The Heartland Center for Jobs and Freedom also offers a guide to tenants’ rights in Missouri.
If you are facing eviction from your home or facing another housing related crisis, you can contact KC Tenants’ Crisis Hotline at 816-533-5435 and get a free legal consultation from the Heartland Center by calling 816-278-1344.
Do you have more questions about housing law or tenants rights in Kansas City? Ask the Service Journalism team at kcq@kcstar.com.
This story was originally published January 30, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
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