- What are actions we can take without involving a lawyer?
- What is a tenant association?
- What is a tenant union?
- What is a rent strike?
- What is a phone zap?
- What is an unlawful detainer?
- What does the eviction process typically look like?
- What is a no-fault eviction?
- What is a rent stabilization ordinance?
- What is a rent board?
- What does it mean to be an autonomous tenants union with respect to ATUN (Autonomous Tenant Union Network)?
- Who can and cannot join SVTU?
- I want to organize my building, what can I start with?
- How much can my landlord raise my rent?
- What is the Costa-Hawkins Act?
- What is vacancy control?
Q: What are actions we can take without involving a lawyer?
A: With a tenant association, you can try to negotiate with your landlord, write letters to local newspapers, and even organize a rent strike. With the help of a tenant union, you can set up a phone zap or mobilize people to show up for public comment at city hall. It’s best to start with something small, like sending a letter from your tenant association to your landlord with your demands before escalating to something like a rent strike. Be sure to contact us so we can help get you started!
Q: What is a tenant association?
A: A tenant association is a group of tenants in the same building, complex, or with the same landlord, who come together to collectively bargain with their landlord. Oftentimes, a tenant association will be formed in response to a landlord’s actions, such as a mass eviction attempt. Tenant associations typically connect to a larger tenant union.
Q: What is a tenant union?
A: A tenant union is a group of tenants that organize together in order to improve housing conditions for all tenants across a geographical region (such as Silicon Valley). These are member-based organizations that are typically funded by dues rather than grants.
Q: What is a rent strike?
A: A rent strike is when a group of tenants withhold their rent until a demand is met, such as a landlord agreeing to not increase the rent. This is an example of collective bargaining, but it requires that many people be on board for it to be effective, and not risky.
Q: What is a phone zap?
A: A phone zap is when a group of people call a phone number (of a landlord for example) all day to make it impossible for them to get anything done. This is a useful tactic when landlords are ignoring the demands their tenants are making, but it can be portrayed as harassment.
Q: What is an unlawful detainer?
A: This is when a landlord sues a tenant in order to get a court ordered eviction.
Q: What does the eviction process typically look like?
A: You receive some sort of notice (3-day, 30-day, or 60-day notice) indicating that your landlord wants you to pay or move out by a certain date. It is not an eviction yet at this point. If you do not move out, then your landlord will file papers with the court to start the eviction case. You will receive a copy of these papers in the mail. If you don’t move out, then you need to file a response within 10 days, or the judge doesn’t need to hear your case. At this point a judge will hear your case and decide whether you need to move out or not.
Q: What is a no-fault eviction?
A: No-fault evictions are evictions which are not due to any wrongdoing on the part of the tenant. In these cases, landlords are required by law to compensate the tenant for relocation costs, subject to local laws. These are only allowed if the unit is being demolished or taken off of the market (i.e. not being rented to new people).
Q: What is a rent stabilization ordinance?
A: A rent stabilization ordinance (RSO) is a set of laws which restrict how much a landlord can increase your rent by. In order to be effective, an RSO has to include a rent board.
Q: What is a rent board?
A: A rent board monitors complaints from tenants about their landlords violating the limit on rent increases set by an RSO. They also hear complaints by landlords who want to get an exception to the rent cap.
Q: What does it mean to be an autonomous tenants union with respect to ATUN (Autonomous Tenant Union Network)?
A: Autonomous in this case means that the union is fully funded by membership dues rather than taking money from grants. The intention is to keep the union from potentially being co-opted by non-members who do not have our best interests at heart.
Q: Who can and cannot join SVTU?
A: Only tenants (renters, people who do not own their housing, and the unhoused) are allowed to join the SVTU. Landlords are banned from membership or being present at meetings or events, and homeowners who are sympathetic to our cause may donate, but are not able to obtain full membership (i.e. they cannot vote on anything the union considers).
Q: I want to organize my building, what can I start with?
A: Great! Are there any specific issues you have with your landlord? This can include, but isn’t limited to, rent increases, mold, lack of repairs, and ongoing construction that impacts your day to day life. If you aren’t sure, why don’t we go knock on doors in your complex and see if you and your neighbors have any common problems.
Q: How much can my landlord raise my rent?
A: If your home was built after 1995 and is not exempt from the Tenant Protection Act or 2019, then your landlord can raise rent by 5% + CPI or 10% (whichever is lower). Some cities have more specific protections. See: City-Specific Tenant Protections.
Q: What is the Costa-Hawkins Act?
A: This is a California State law from 1995 that is a limiter for cities to expand rent control. The Costa-Hawkins Act regulates that any building built after 1995 cannot be subject to any Rent Stabilization Ordinances passed after 1995. In practice, this limits rent caps to the State Rent Protection laws [currently set at 5% + CPI or 10% (whichever is lower)] on all buildings built after 1995. It also eliminated vacancy control.
Q: What is vacancy control?
A: This keeps the rent in rent-controlled units fixed when the unit passes from an old tenant to a new one. This is outlawed by the Costa-Hawkins Act.