New protections give tenants the ability to shift the balance of power with their landlords, but it doesn't ensure it. When working alone to fight a bad landlord, tenants put themselves at risk of being singled out and persecuted, even if that is illegal. Only when working together can tenants use these rights to win materially better living conditions in their homes.
What are Tenant Associations?
Tenant Associations are organizations of tenants that work collectively to achieve tangible results. Landlords have money because tenants pay them and they have power because tenants let them. Tenants hold the cards, but landlords appear to because they are often dealing with unorganized tenants. Fundamentally, TA's change this balance of power by organizing tenants - if tenants reclaim money and power, landlords have to cede to demands.
The Power Dynamic
Working Alone
- Risk of retaliation
- Limited leverage
- Isolated struggle
Working Together
- Protected by numbers
- Collective bargaining power
- Shared resources & support
Get Trained. Get Organized.
The Hudson Valley Tenants Union was created in 2025 by tenants and organizers from the Stony Run Tenants Union in Kingston, New York. We train tenants in both Kingston and throughout the Hudson Valley to use new protections to build their own Tenant Associations.
If you are a Hudson Valley tenant and want to have power and security in your home, fill out the intake form below and stay tuned!