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Unions for Rental Units
January 24, 2007 - 2:50pm
A fact that isn't well known is that it was companies that started the concept of unions - because there was a lack of labour after the plague - and they wanted to protect the employees.
So, without similar plague-induced inspiration from the landlords, it seems to fall to the tenants to create such a parallel in the rental markets.
Here is how it would work:
If tenants feel that the landlord is being unfair - ie rent too high, poor maintenance, etc - then they contact a union rep.
The union rep - then spends time educating the tenants - and then a vote is done. If succesful, you have a tenant union.
This union then has the power to have everyone hold back the rent, and or have everyone leave and find other accomodation if their demands are not met.
The goal here is to prevent landlords from continually raising the rent, and making ridiculous profits.
Although...I suppose if EVERYONE in a high rise refused to pay the rent until the landlord fixed the problem (and picketed outside to make it public) then what would they do, evict everyone?
However, as James says, I doubt you could muster up the solidarity for that. Unless, of course, the situation is so bad that everyone's looking for a new place anyhow and doesn't give a damn whether they get evicted. [img]wink.gif" border="0[/img]
However, the whole residential rental legal scheme in Ontario changes effective Jan 31, and I admit to not being 100% on top of all of the changes. At least, no more default evictions without a hearing, and, at least, a tenant who is being threatened with eviction can now raise issues of landlord malfeasance without filing a separate application.
Heywood, that's Alberta. In a more enlightened province, that would put a landlord broke and in jail.
Care to back that statement up with some facts and what do you consider to be a fair return on your investment - 2% or 10%.
I doubt it. If a whole high-rise quit paying, the REIT industry would back up the landlord in whatever action they took and you can bet there wouldn't be any jail time.
With the ownership of most mega-multi (+15) unit housing by REITS now, you'd be messing with retirees income, mutual fund income, etc. There's no way the industry would tolerate it.
A factor preventing people from banding together is also fear. Many people who live in poor housing conditions are newly arrived, and some haven't got a good grasp of English. These people are easily exploited by landlords. Same as people fresh out of jail, people on assistance of any type, the list goes on. Landlords know this, and they know that tenants usually do not have the knowledge, tools and will to take them to a Rental Tribunal.
Read this for your typical slum landlord:
Bad Landlords: The case of the Wynn Brothers
The real key is organizing and finding people who are so desperate angry motivated and organized that they're ready to put their home on the line. A tough call.
It's not unprecedented.