What Your Landlord Doesn't Want You to Know: You Can Fight Back

Kansas City tenants just launched the largest rent strike in decades. They're burning up their rent notices to demand a new landlord, a national rent cap, and the right to collectively bargain their leases. And they could change renting in America as we know it.
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[@spartan662501]

The fact that for profit businesses can be subsidized by the government and not be subject to rent caps is crazy

[@WhiskyMystery]

Because there is no cap on inflation which increases all expenses.

[@Natty183]

​@@WhiskyMystery Please. They've been price fixing through companies, for one Realpage. Damn bootlickers have so many one-line thoughts to regurgitate... So gross.

[@newmobile1455]

I say $500 for most of the country and $800 in big cities most people make $1,200 and $1,500 a month

[@TheMysteryDriver]

@@WhiskyMysteryand you could build that into caps

[@avandurion]

Government is subsidized by companies, and individuals. In turn individuals and companies are subsidized by government. Sure it doesn't make sense, but just letting poors have everything would lead to Idiocracy.

[@matthewallen787]

Get a job, work endlessly, not enough money, work even more, then become too old and tired to continue…The American dream!

[@willettacartermolina3375]

Just because you live in subsidized housing doesn't mean you don't work two or 3 jobs already.

[@TheMysteryDriver]

@@willettacartermolina3375did you write this under the wrong comment?

[@flowerdoyle3749]

and then tell people fighting for better wages they don't deserve it.......(how the general public treats Union members)

[@shandromand1675]

They call it the dream because you have to be asleep to believe it.

[@d0nacdum908]

Yeah, sure. 90% of the people complaining have poor financial skills and take out loans and credit to buy cars and things they don't need and can't afford getting themselves trapped into endless payments they will never get out of. Live within your means and invest your dollar and you can do better than ok.

[@Decaf.]

Ban corporations from owning residential property

[@Terrathrax]

Yes this.

[@freepadz6241]

This

[@artosbear]

Actially just stop owning things. Ownership precludes belonging. Ownership of housing, ownership of land creates these problems. The problems will always return even if you win some of these victories, otherwise

[@Smile200-z4y]

Hell no

[@Smile200-z4y]

I will own things.

[@franklaferriere5754]

My slumlord makes $250,000 a month. Has been violated three different times, serious violations. Just got violated for a fourth time, rats and mice, holes in roof, falling down chimney. Worst? He let siding rip off and exposed to sheathing for four years. Now we got black mold. Been looking for two years for another place. Got three housing agencies helping. Went to look in my hometown. Rich came in, destroyed it. Big box stores, hotels, doctors offices, banks, resturaunts. Wiped out most of housing areas to do this. 1,400 people in some form of homelessness. Got him in court Wednesday. Hope the judge slams him. His name is Michael Roy, owner of 14 Dunkin franchises, 823 Donuts. Slumlord lives in a mansion three times the size of the house I am renting the apt in.

[@Enderrock424]

story of america right there, at least for people like me and you. the day i found out that when conservatives say “economic freedom”, they were never talking about us, was the day the world made a lot more sense. economic freedom for the boot on our necks

[@baddestjoanna-michellesmit5578]

❤ wow my heart goes out to you. Fight !! Housing is a human right !

[@rickyramirez4850]

With all those issues, I would be out there in the next day …

[@franklaferriere5754]

@@rickyramirez4850 Try finding an apartment. Housing and I have been looking for another apt for 2 years.

[@franklaferriere5754]

@@baddestjoanna-michellesmit5578 I am hoping he is charged with false swearing and perjury.

[@NobodyListensToCasandra]

I’m 36, and this video is the first time it’s occurred to me that I could/should get basic problems fixed by the person I pay rent to, who actually owns the building.

[@spektred]

Absolutely. Be sure to check some of your local laws to determine what they are obligated to fix. Naturally, they won't want to do anything that they can get away with, so they hope you have zero concerns and just keep paying rent.

[@shaudemarie8844]

How? Most landlords/rental offices state that they’re responsible for repairs in the lease…

[@johnchandler1687]

@@shaudemarie8844 Yes they do. And by the way this car I'm selling was owned by a little old widow lady that only drove it to church on Sunday and the grocery store twice a month. I promise. 😁

[@freewillchoice8052]

Read your lease to see up to what dollar amount you may be responsible for before the landlord gets involved with repairs and cost for repairs

[@yooootoooober]

Just ask.

[@reversefulfillment9189]

I worked for national banks in the mortgage industry, got sick of it after the mortgage meltdown. I thought to myself, if everyone just said "screw it" and stopped paying their mortgage, taxes, credit cards, what could the banks do? Answer, Nothing... they'd be screwed and this whole system would collapse. What stops us? FEAR False Expectations Appearing Real. Solidarity!!

[@TheMysteryDriver]

Issue is people don't have the money outside of those credit cards

[@Maxry-v2y]

They have all the power

[@Lazy_Fish_Keeper]

People don't realize how much power we, the people, actually have. If we could stop buying into the manufactured outrage and media induced division, we could work together and create an infinitely better alternative.

[@T.R.75]

would be interesting. sadly that amount of cooperation from humans could never happen.

[@LastDreamWasMe]

@@T.R.75with that conviction it never will

[@nightwalkerscrypt]

Just because you live in a subsidized building does not mean you should be forced to live in a building full bugs, rodents, vermin, mold, filth. I am so fed up with this property management companies thinking they have all the power.

[@commentinglife6175]

You get what you pay for. You traded a lower rent for a lower quality of building. This has happened every time government has gotten involved in the market - whether in the US with rent and tenement housing or overseas with communist countries with price controls. Quality costs money and unless you think the landlord is your slave, you better pay for it!

[@r44bb98]

If you pay a lesser amount than what is necessary to upkeep the building then yes you should live in suboptimal living conditions. No matter how you put it, the fact is upkeep costs money and if the building isn't making money the upkeep wont happen.

[@yxmichaelxyyxmichaelxy3074]

They do.

[@yxmichaelxyyxmichaelxy3074]

Explain who does the subsidising please.

[@budm2528]

@@commentinglife6175 idiot

[@AlexxMaester]

There is a systemic problem -- greed. We have allowed many of our economic sectors, to take advantage of the American people. It's disgusting and frightening for the future of our country. I plan to retire at 62 in another country outside the US that is free, safe and very cheap with a high quality of life. I could fully just rely on only my SS if I wanted to when that times arrives but I'll also have at least one pension, a 403 (b) and a very prolific lnvestment account with my Abby Joseph Cohen my FA. Retiring comfortably in the US these days is almost impossible.

[@CaressaWillian]

I went from no money to lnvest with to busting my A** off on Uber eats for four months to raise about $20k to start trading with Abby Joseph Cohen. I am at $128k right now and LOVING that you have to bring this up here

[@EalDieguez]

How can i reach this Abby Joseph Cohen, if you don't mind me asking? I've known her by her reputation at Goldman Sachs

[@AlexxMaester]

​@@EalDieguezWell her name is 'ABBY JOSEPH COHEN SERVICES'. Just research the name. You'd find necessary details to work with a correspondence to set up an appointment.

[@CaressaWillian]

​@@EalDieguezWell her name is 'ABBY JOSEPH COHEN SERVICES'. Just research the name. You'd find her details to set up an appointment.

[@CaressaWillian]

​@EalDieguez Well her name is 'ABBY JOSEPH COHEN SERVICES'. Just research the name. You'd find her details to set up an appointment.

[@tmc6799]

To say nothing changes with the greedy rich is an understatement. It only gets worse, particularly when replacing old well built apartment buildings with flimsy new ones built with substandard materials.

[@syndromealphalord]

This is inspiring, every town should have a tenants union

[@Pheoniex]

Wonder how chaotic this would get and what would happen if this was millions of people instead of 2 apartment buildings?

[@rog3129]

Can’t believe nothing is being done about the repairs while millions are spent on marketing?..

[@chrisjonesfilm]

Oh, I can believe it. Look at this country.

[@im-gi2pg]

They are still being paid. They only change when rent is withheld. Money is the only thing that gets their attention.

[@shekharmoona544]

Spending millions to save a dime.

[@PossessiveK]

There are places that build large buildings and then refuse to reasonably price them, so they waste resources and land for junk no one will live in. It's appalling

[@hobknob1437]

​@@PossessiveK It's not a waste of land. It uses the land, without actually adding any housing availability. It's genius!

[@sunandsage]

I've been a residential landlord in the past. There occasional months where I was not able to keep the rent paid to me because of having to get things fixed in order to keep the place habitable. That's just the way it is. It's an obligation. I have no sympathy for landlords who refuse to maintain their rental units. BEST OF LUCK TO THESE PEOPLE!!

[@philalethistry7937]

I wish the strikers the best and hope they succeed in changing this country for the better!

[@LizNeptune]

This is like my apartment!! Roach infested in the walls, rats in the walls, mold, was left without electricity for 4 days. My floor floods every time it rains. My windows are falling out the pane. The unit is not sealed properly. I pay $1425 for a 425sq ft closet in the hood. It’s disgusting. We have to collectively do something!!

[@CreativeMindsAudio]

The irony of the building being called QUALITY hill towers 😂

[@johnchandler1687]

That's the trick! As a word "quality" applies to bad as well as good. 😅

[@CreativeMindsAudio]

@@johnchandler1687 oof good point 😂

[@mattrinker2947]

Kwality

[@sierrawest6568]

It is incredibly ironic and sad because Quality Hill is a historic neighborhood of KCMO and its so sad to see a historic working class neighborhood transform into a corporate slum. This housing should be affordable but in the modern era there's no reason to have housing conditions worse than it was 100 years ago for prices higher than local wages

[@thomasreese2816]

The Hill is pretty nice. But the towers are lacking

[@kcsunnyone]

Local code enforcement is also failing to protect citizens

[@monkey_man70-1]

If it's anything like my city, they don't actually do inspections. It's more on a mass of complaint basis, but that also means it is probably selectively enforced, which is terrible. Some drastic change is needed to make public officials accountable.

[@custos3249]

Depends what codes. Landlords trudge through apartments with the fire department here every couple years to scream about anything put in front of windows, if a storage closet is blocked off, or any other meaningless "it's for safety" reason. Evidently we have to live like there will be a fire any second, so the fire department may need to go through a window and search every closet for scared kids. Really, it's a legal loophole for landlords to gain access to spy on tenants without needing to invent an "emergency."

[@hobknob1437]

​@@monkey_man70-1 A change is coming! The 2nd amendment will be abolished, and AI automatons will enforce loyalty amongst the rabble!

[@patrickmeyer9419]

HERES THE REAL ISSUE

[@johnchandler1687]

@@kcsunnyone Most government inspectors of any kind are up for sale. Don't be naive.

[@cabbagenut]

One of my slumlords let us sit for days with sewage backing into our tub and the neighbor's tub and let black mold grow through the entire building. Abolish landlords.

[@jiffyb333]

Thank you for covering such incredibly important stories that the news refuses to cover!

[@thsizzle8272]

The only way to change this system is to say no more and work together to make our situation better. 99% of us are slaves to the 1% and we shouldn’t think the American dream is anything other than keeping everyone else down.

[@Bill-im6nt]

And far too many vote for someone to lower taxes on that 1%.

[@biglittledude496]

@@Bill-im6nt honestly the votes aren’t even real. The two parties are in cahoots and we need to unite over that fact instead of finger pointing. At the very least the enemy of my enemy is my friend, and it’s rich vs poor rn

[@Ultralightaman]

Tentant Unions should exist because almost all landlords collaborate through software that sets market values instead of competition.

[@ohiasdxfcghbljokasdjhnfvaw4ehr]

no, they shouldn't exist. the fact they need to exist means something else is fundamentally broken. this should not even be possible to happen. the landlords should be fined every day for every apartment that is in poor condition. and no landlord should be a corporation.

[@tomsparks6099]

This is where complacency in civics at the state and local level let in the wolves. It used to be landlords (in my state) could not raise rent more than 5% annually along with the increase of cost of living. It was aligned for equity and parity. Also, ignored complaints on maintenance, you legally put your rent into an escrow account until repairs are done without threat of eviction. While NO ONE WAS PAYING ATTENTION, these laws vanished. it actually costs less to buy now (in the long run) than to rent.

[@Bill-im6nt]

"it actually costs less to buy now (in the long run) than to rent" - it always has. Just logical, someone is paying for the place you live in. And if it's not you, they are making money on it, or they wouldn't bother!

[@neviswarren]

Thank you for covering this story.

[@dartagnanharris3661]

Power to the people

[@scottsnyder2726]

Collective bargaining for renters. Interesting idea. I am proud that when our apartment complex was invested in (original owner kept stake) and they raised our rents by 15% that five tenants in same garden apartment entryway all left. We asked for reasonable increase, then threatened to leave, but owners didn’t care. They’re having to spend $15-20K to renovate and getting less in rent than what they demanded from us.

[@scottmolnar4132]

You know they probably gave an absurd rent increase offer to motivate you to move so they could go in a renovate

[@bleepbloop_b]

More power to them, stop the landlord greed

[@matthewm9261]

Insurance rates and property taxes are out of control. Stop government greed

[@Cucumberflavoredmustard]

Landlords have costs, too. The government is in a position to do things about taxes and insurance right now, yet they choose not to.

[@squid_fish]

Stop *corporate greed

[@miasparks167]

@@CucumberflavoredmustardDon’t need the profit margin though. Which is the problem. How most landlords charge rent to include the entirety of cost of living and then a profit margin.

[@oceantransistor]

Landlords that can't keep up the maintenance should be forced to sell to the government to maintain the building. Housing should be a human right.

[@DrAJ_LatinAmerica]

No. Why should the government buy it??? No government involvement needed. The people should move. Supply and demand. If no one will rent the locations, owners will go out of business. Then a new owner can decide to invest in a new building or invest in repairs, then set a new rent higher or lower based on market demand.

[@billy.9481]

@@DrAJ_LatinAmerica some people cant move, they have jobs or kids in school or just can't afford anywhere else

[@Butchernamedbilly]

You have never lived in government housing and your comment shows 😂

[@hkgoalie91]

If you think these landlord are not keeping up with the property maintenance, just wait until you see what the government would do with it. Additionally our government doesn't have any money, we are 36 trillion in debt and every dollar we print/borrow makes your money worth A LOT less.

[@DrAJ_LatinAmerica]

@@hkgoalie91 💯👍. We need less government. Less "programs". Less spending. No more handouts to illegal immigrants, but that is the topic of a separate video.

[@Vort_tm]

We need top to bottom political reform.

[@yooootoooober]

November 5th. Make a plan.

[@Vort_tm]

@@yooootoooober Way ahead of you. Already voted for Jill Stein. If you think Harris is anything but a center-right empty husk of a corporate shill... a vapid rubber stamp who stands for nothing except for getting elected. I won't deny that Trump is worse than her in the near term, but honestly I think she is worse for the long term. I say that unhyperbolically. Trump getting elected will cause a whipsaw effect and in 4 years we might actually get a candidate willing to change the status quo. If we vote Harris, it'll embolden Dems that the "lesser evil" strategy will continue to work as we are dragged deeper in to global conflict and expand corporate greed. Harris will do 4 years, and then likely another 4 years, at which point people will be so entirely sick of her that it'll be 4 years of GOP, so if we elect Harris, it'll literally be 12 years before we have the possibility of seeing any improvement to society, as opposed to 4 years of Trump making things worse, and then the possibility of 8 years of genuinely improving things.

[@XIIchiron78]

Yes. To begin with, voting method reform, because that's the real problem that prevents competition and accountability in our elections, by way of vote splitting (the spoiler effect). On this issue specifically, it's complicated. The fundamental issue is the nature of land itself - it is necessary for all economic activity to occur, yet fixed and limited in supply. Which means you can extract all of the surplus productivity of a community just by acting as a gatekeeper to that physical space. Rent prices rise until it's cheaper to go somewhere else and lose the benefit of being close to other people, businesses, geography, natural resources, etc. This shrinks the economy and creates sprawl, destroying urban structure and creating an obligation for governments to spend perpetually more and more on infrastructure just to spur new development and control costs. And in the process, the productive members of society are made into a class of effective serfs, who work for subsistence and the benefit of their landlords, in a kind of neo-feudalism. It becomes impossible to accumulate wealth and participate in your own community, or often even to afford escaping, as prices for property balloon infinitely upward on the basis of their ability to collect future rents. The best way to solve this problem is to absorb this private tax with a public one - which is land value taxation. Because rents already rise to the maximum the community can support, this kind of tax can't be passed on the way others are (in fact, all other taxes end up taking out of rent capacity, but that's a whole other thing). This kind of tax is so efficient and successful that it replaces all other taxes with tons left over - which you can then return to the community via a citizen's dividend or wealth fund (lowering the tax just pays landlords again in exchange for doing nothing). There are of course other solutions, but all of them tend to be short term band aids that warp the market and create unintended consequences. Rent caps are an example.

[@leoscheibelhut940]

NO TAX MONEY should go to corporate landlords! All corporate landlords with over say50 or 100 units should be required to respond to all complaints within 24hrs for emergency situations or 2 business days for non-emergencies. Failure to respond should result in the tenant's automatic appeal to a powerful renters' board.

[@bioold8925]

Naho, then they'll just split their company up on paper, into sub-entities that each own 50 - 100 units and go on as before.

[@lostbutfreesoul]

Tax money shouldn't be going to any business.... Having Exceptions is bad enough, when you look at many of them, but getting money back?! The fact there are companies out there with *negative* tax rates, as in each year the government pays them, insane!

[@deanaderrick3474]

It's crazy. That sounds exactly like the situation in my rural landlord owned trailer park. He had as many as 9 suits against him at once, but is still collecting our rents and fixing nothing. They're only a few of us though and this is not a state that backs renters or individuals in general.

[@s.tiaira9081]

Let’s do this across the country

[@okhondaguy3288]

Government needs to make a compound where rentless living is possible.

[@ohiasdxfcghbljokasdjhnfvaw4ehr]

every single city and town should provide adequate housing for all their citizens.

[@aj-ou9xy]

I really hope to see more of these rent strikes. I've moved out of my parent's home twice and had to come back both times due to not being able to afford anything. It makes me scared that I won't ever move out or that I will but struggle paycheck to paycheck like before.

[@hegyak]

Good for the People. When the People Gather in Strength. They Win.

[@Twindragon-tu1wd]

Kill my landlord - Eddie Murphy on SNL

[@howevisual7099]

Thank you for your continued journalism work. Please keep making content and spreading knowledge-- so many, myself included, didn't know this was even a thing. thankyouthankyouthankyou.

[@VideoGameStarChannelSupreme]

I'm glad they're striking and burning their rent bills, but more people need to do this cause I forget rent unions exist.

[@jrvegaboston]

Good for them. The rent prices are so out of control.

[@SgtJoeSmith]

Cause wages are out of control

[@qwejy]

@@SgtJoeSmith Then why is rent still increasing in states that have seen little to no wage increases. There are companies like Realpage openly price fixing and you're still too dense to see anything that wasn't regurgitated to you.

[@SgtJoeSmith]

@@qwejy oh is realpage a union? they just want to pay their employees fairly, im sure.

[@SgtJoeSmith]

@@qwejy maybe if tenants wouldnt trash the place and cost owners so much in repairs. you know, 2 months rent a year goes to taxes and another 2 months to insurance. another month to maintenance. landlords typically break even till house is paid off unless they can pay cash up front. they finally make money when they sell it and retire. if you think rent is expensive you should try owning. when you own anything you need fixed is $150 to $200 an hour per person

[@LastDreamWasMe]

@@SgtJoeSmithno rent, power and insurance prices have outstripped wages for a long, long time. They’re inflation leaders. The problem is not wages. The problem is corporate greed.

[@jackmccourt1541]

Solidarity! Landlords have too much power, people need to fight back

[@pseudofilosofiaantiguru3068]

Amazing, keep the good work

[@andrewsammons9643]

This is a problem that happens all across Kansas City. it’s governmental failures in almost every municipality and at the state level from both Missouri and Kansas. Corporate intentional slum lords have exploded since 2008

[@zombiecattats]

Rooting for these people, I hope they win all their demands!! Tenant unions are such a powerful force 💖

[@JusticeAlways]

This is LONG OVERDUE.

[@mdlm77]

So glad this is getting coverage, irresponsible greedy landlords need to be held accountable!

[@ryosaii]

housing is a human right

[@spektred]

The problem is that you don't own the property or the land that you would/could put your house on. And even if you did, the government says since you are a resident of the city/state you have to pay property tax and land taxes.

[@miasparks167]

@@spektredWhich is fair, cause you’re part of a society and benefit off public spending. So you should pay in

[@Cucumberflavoredmustard]

It's called constructive eviction. You can legally break the lease and move out of the landlord does not address a habitability issue after 30 days. Document it, and the landlord cannot come after you for unpaid rent. Well, they can try, but the judge will laugh them out of court.

[@Dynasty1818]

Think you'll find a judge rule in favor of the landlords on that

[@thomasfisher1829]

I don't think they wanna move is the thing. I'm a little confused as to why they'd wanna stay personally. Maybe it's already the cheapest place around? The federal government usually has to inspect/sign off on section 8 zoned buildings to make sure they're inhabitable and that things like this don't happen... This leads me to believe it's not section 8, and they're just choosing to stay there anyway? I'm even more confused by the guy that moved to a different unit in the same complex... I'd have just left. Let them try to fill the caved in/flooded apartment with somebody else

[@InvisibleHotdog]

Move out and go where? This is a far reaching problem

[@Cucumberflavoredmustard]

@@InvisibleHotdog To another apartment that is better maintained.

[@Cucumberflavoredmustard]

@@thomasfisher1829 Moving is a pain no matter what. No one likes the hassle of moving, but sometimes you have to.

[@zephaniahgreenwell8151]

How about a national habitability guarantee?

[@eksbocks9438]

Why ask someone else to take over? Be the landlord and advocate for everyone there

[@SgtJoeSmith]

Yes they should buy the building and maintain it. Then they won't have to pay rent. See how run down it becomes then

[@jrg2866]

The only reason anyone rents is because they can't afford to buy and own a home themselves. "Just buy every building Sentinel owns" is not a feasible plan.

[@luxraider5384]

You sound like a landlord. Are you a little scared?

[@SgtJoeSmith]

@@wrijack cause if the tenants own it then the government will lose that income tax money to send to ukraine. which is currently 50% of your rent. you see.... 6 months of rent goes to income tax, 2 months to city and county property tax, 2 months to insurance and 2 months to maintenance. and then you call the landlord working for free greedy.

[@luxraider5384]

@@jrg2866 the reason they can't afford to buy is because someone bought it and renting it.

[@troypropes1182]

Your basic necessities should never be commodified anyway. Most people are just paying for someone else’s house, while they can barely afford a 1br apartment. If you have to pay someone for access to food, water and shelter every month, we should really reconsider what living in the “land of the free” is.

[@troypropes1182]

@@thisbarb It costs money to grow food in different parts of the world and SHIP that food here and truck them to a grocery store. Solution: build huge greenhouses instead of Walmarts to grow fresh local food with little to no transportation costs. Rain water can be collected with a simple system of pvc pipes, gutters and plastic barrels. There was a time before our current system and there will be a time after. Food grows from the ground, water falls from the sky. It’s not that hard, most people just can’t think outside the confines of a lifetime of propaganda.

[@LudwigVaanArthans]

It's not the land of the free, never has been. It's the land of the fee, and always will be

[@johnchandler1687]

If you own your house outright you still have to pay "rent" to the government or they'll steal it and auction it off for taxes.

[@dontmatter966]

You're a cynic ​@@LudwigVaanArthans

[@SgtJoeSmith]

You are right. Grow your own food. Get your own water from the lake or river closest tou you instead of exploiting others and profiting off their slave labor

[@michaelhamilton7814]

Stand your ground united we stand divided we fail.

[@smdutt]

Good for them. Let’s not forget how we got here: the federal reserve had interest rates too low for too long, subsidizing real estate landlords (slumlords in this case), and of course their egregious not legal practice of purchasing mortgage-backed securities for no stated purpose other than to boost the housing markets. But not for you and me, no, but for the institutional investors.

[@AWJ-zf8cf]

Ban corporations

[@RobertChaplin-m7b]

@@AWJ-zf8cf Corporations are a collection of shareholders who are all people. So banning people seems strange or is this just a strange comment.

[@vkng_drag0n982]

Finally! The people standing up for fairness!! The whole country should do this.

[@Metryingatlife]

Needs to be all through North America

[@arienatwork3768]

One of the most hopeful stories I've heard lately. ❤❤❤🎉🎉🎉

[@mylifeintexas]

Rent caps would be nice but we also need caps on taxes and insurance cost as well. Those things do nothing but go up every single year after year after year.

[@smokelord2002]

Taxes are % based. They don't particularly go up but your income does even though it buys less. So does your property. The assessment process is what's broken. My car went from being valued at 8k one year to 15k 3 years later. I go to dealership to get new car....they offer me 5k yet I'm still paying tax on 15k assessment value. That's what we call corruption.

[@mylifeintexas]

@@smokelord2002 Either way, investment property doesn’t get any exemptions so every year it increases 3%, maybe 5% and now Houston is pushing for an 8% increase this year. Also insurance rates don’t go off any percentages, they come in and say that the homes replacement costs are 3x what I paid, sometimes higher and the new rate is X amount higher than my older policy. All these factors increase rents. Some of us are not using real page to determine our rents but it sucks to have to raise rents on a family over $100 a month just to cover the increases from taxes and insurance. I understand the idea of a rent cap. As a landlord, I want a cap on my taxes and insurance. It would help tremendously in lowering rents.

[@augustoliver2779]

I stand with you! We need people to unite under one simple cause in order to avoid the smart money from manipulating and divide and conquer. ❤ to you guys

[@MetalPhoenix79]

I live on the Kansas side. They are raising my rent another 10% (they've already raised it 50% since I've moved in). I pointed out that two other apartments that had the same bedrooms/bathrooms but were bigger and within 1 mile of my apartment were charging $30 less a month than the apartment I'd been living in for 6 years. I tried to negotiate but they said no. They pretty much told me they use something similar to Realpage which is being sued. They also said it would be to their advantage if I moved out because they could remodel and rent it at their new prices which is $400 more than I'm paying now.

[@WhiskyMystery]

Have you decided to leave or stay?

[@MetalPhoenix79]

@@WhiskyMystery I decided to stay because it would be cheaper in the short run. If I moved I would have to put down a new deposit, hiring movers, and a new pet deposit. I'm looking to buy a house in the summer of '26.

[@luxraider5384]

"They also said it would be to their advantage if I moved out because they could remodel and rent it at their new prices which is $400 more than I'm paying now." Sounds like bullshit to me, just leave if they really want it.

[@miasparks167]

They THINK they can rent it out for more. But often times they get screwed unless someone who licks out with a high paying job comes into mix

[@VajraYogini93]

STRENGTH IN NUMBERS 🙏🏼💖

[@Mischievous_Moth]

Oh but won't someone think of the POOR landlords!? They're already living your paycheck to your paycheck after all. 😭

[@WhiskyMystery]

Everyone is free to become a landlord.

[@gadflyofhumanity_6847]

ALL landlords SUCK.

[@WhiskyMystery]

@@gadflyofhumanity_6847 I like my landlord

[@seDrakonkill]

@@WhiskyMysteryNot really. Many don’t have the financial resources to properly feed themselves, let alone secure loans for property acquisition

[@miasparks167]

@@WhiskyMysteryNot really especially with landlords already leeching off rhem

[@justinv6132]

Videos like this are stones flung at the wall that is our system. Keep it up guys. Good stuff.

[@filispirit]

This is happening all over our country. Millions of people are effective. ⚖️🇺🇲💙😊

[@parodysam]

Wow I’m glad my apartment isn’t that bad, we only have holes in the walls and mold on the windows.

[@LadyAtheOnly]

Good for them.💯

[@Yeeto767]

A new travel trailer is $200 a month and a campground spot is $500 a month and you’ll own what you live in so it will be an asset. Do with this information what you wish.

[@shanerogers9386]

The housing bubble run up by pure, out of control speculation has to crash. Anything else leads to unrest and hyperinflation.

[@WhiskyMystery]

And I think it will.

[@T.R.75]

bet if we could fine the actual owners, the people who own these companies, the heads of corporations who make the decisions, things would change quick like. instead the companies get the ridiculously small fines, if at all, pay them, and continue on business as usual. when you dont punish the kid who steals from the cookie jar, they keep stealing.

[@bryanchannell7715]

Union pride I'm working in a union in Kansas City , Missouri is one of the last unions states , if you notice all the right to work states this is illegal and you could go to jail and get evicted but not in a union state like Missouri

[@yxmichaelxyyxmichaelxy3074]

Ah, memories. I recall an apartment building in which I rented an apartment. $900 month. This was years ago. We all received notification that our rent was increasing. Why? Well, some idiots destroyed the door to the underground parking. Destroyed the laundry room door, destroyed the elevator lights. The repairs cost a fortune along with repaying the outside parking lot among various other destroyed components. The owners wanted to raise the rent far more, but the law stated the highest they could raise the rent was an extra 2%. They went the max. My one-bedroomed apartment was very large and I lived in it alone, paying the entire rent myself. When I first applied, a family was ahead of me. The management decided to give it to me. Startled, I asked why. They told me my credit-rating was stellar and that made me their first choice. I was in my late 20s. They go by your ability to pay the rent, not by your needs. They do not give a shit about that.

[@WhiskyMystery]

Every business operates on your ability to pay for the goods/service. Supermarkets only give you food if you can afford to pay.

[@Gardenabundance]

@@WhiskyMystery yours is the only comment I’ve seen and this entire section that has actually made sense. Thank you.

[@WhiskyMystery]

@@Gardenabundance It is strange how rent/housing always seems to get separated into its own category. I think the name 'landlord' is part of the problem. Imagine buying from the 'Food Lord' or the 'Car Lord'. The 'Beer Lord' sounds half decent though.

[@jonathanwarner4720]

What I don’t understand is why the picketers aren’t outside the landlords’ home or homes. They need to hear it directly from the people. Hell, they shouldn’t sleep until they stop being neglectful and capricious

[@jacksmith-vs4ct]

they likely live in a different state

[@Waverunner21]

Like most reality companies. The board members rarely live in the states they own property in.

[@luxraider5384]

Because it would be illegal? Their plan isn't to be fined. You can riot, but don"t resort to terrorism please.

[@spektred]

As others have stated, the landlords home could be in a different state or it could be because the landlord lives on private property.

[@tw8725]

The result of ultimate capitalism. Bravo!

[@SooperTrooper100]

Long over due.

[@steamysimmer]

strength in numbers. solidarity!

[@piku5637]

Housing must stop being treated as a commodity but rather a basic human and legal personal property right💙Ⓐ🇵🇸🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

[@commentinglife6175]

No one has the rights to the fruits of another's labors. That was decided around 1865 here in the US!

[@WhiskyMystery]

A right to housing is already there. A right to free housing is not possible. Affordable housing is dictated mostly by the expenses of running a rental property not set by landlords.

[@SgtJoeSmith]

Then you get out and start building all us homes on your dime

[@luxraider5384]

@@commentinglife6175 buying a house isn't labor dumbass

[@Ivar-V]

Rock on! Solidarity!!!

[@michellelane7399]

Proud of my kc tenant union!

[@keelanmorningstar7800]

If any of you live in West Valley City, UT do not go to Apartments at Decker Lake. We were paying $1400/month for a broken upon move in, bug infested, water damaged, and flooding apartment. But because my then roomate couldn’t work anymore due to disability reasons and my hours were cut for the same we couldn’t pay rent and got evicted. I originally owed them 6k. Thank for I found a paralegal team and they helped take it down to 3k. I’ve been paying monthly and I now only owe them about $1400.

[@teamginate3400]

I’m a landlord and I support these people. You don’t treat people like this. ❤

[@HuevoDuro702]

Slumlord

[@Here4TheHeckOfIt]

Agree. Anti-tenant arguments are sometimes excuses to be a low-quality landlord. Just look for good tenants - respectful of the property and neighbors, clean and pay rent on time. And there are good ones looking for subsidized housing.

[@teamginate3400]

@@Here4TheHeckOfIt I agree, people need affordable housing and housing that is safe and secure. Most jobs today don’t pay a living wage because the dollars buying power is the weakest it’s ever been. I think there needs to be a national rent control with a subsidy for minimum wage earners and the subsidy only applies if the structure is safe and secured or you shouldn’t be able to buy a rental.

[@sjmfd]

Thank you!

[@OneAdam12Adam]

We all need to be doing this! Not just for rental property...

[@framer4ever]

Nationwide strike now!!

[@NG-cf7zh]

Wishing these guys the best of luck! Wasn’t too long ago that I was a renter.

[@corriemathiowetz2135]

incredible incredible... something needs to change and Im glad someone has a plan for this.

[@voxorox]

Withholding rent is a tricky thing to do. I hope they did it right (filed with the court, put the payments in escrow, etc) otherwise the owners could come down hard on them. I really hope they're successful. The whole mess is out of control.

[@Scarlet01812]

Cut bureaucracy and red tape and hire inspectors in every major city. Landlords/owners should be held to 30 days to fix problems or hefty fines and waived rents if problems not fixed. Problems solved

[@MiDnYTe25]

Huge w. Keep fighting the good fight

[@omegaduckie]

Rent caps won’t work. They have never worked throughout history. Laws need to change around what private equity can do with residential property before we see any real, lasting change Good on these people for sticking up for themselves and their neighbour. It’s time the people pushed back

[@SuchiththaW]

They work alongside strong regulation and enforcement. They aren't a panacea, but they will help solve the problem.

[@LudwigVaanArthans]

They're working in many EU cities, and bonus points, corpo conglomerates are exiting the housing market complaining their record profits are record enough.

[@HeckYep]

@@SuchiththaW Rent-caps are definitely a band-aid fix until the systemic causes of the problem can be attacked. But this wound has been infected for years and I agree a band-aid is much better than continuing to ignore it. Americans in general need to be more comfy making small progress and trialing more solutions after the first one doesn't work perfectly.

[@treeaddict]

Rent caps like the 3% a year limit work just fine for decades now in NYC. If it works there, I assume it could work anywhere.

[@mikearchibald744]

Weren't these the two banks largely responsible for the financial collapse? I didn't even know they still existed.

[@bioold8925]

Yes they got saved and supported or taken over by the government and Lehman Brothers didn't.

[@TCASAnalytics]

When I owned our rental properties, I refused to let anyone call me their "landlord", when I was a small business owner. And my tenants were not tenants, they were customers or clients. We raised the rent zero times when someone was leasing the property, and we made out pretty damn good. We did have the luxury of near flat inflation rates of the 2 decades pre-COVID, but refused to gouge the very people we were serving.

[@YourCapyFrenBigly_3DPipes1999]

I'm not even against a decent landlord. If I have an extra room or two, or small property someday, I'm sure I would like to consider renting it out for a little extra money. The problem is Big Business/ corporate landlords who own/ manage complexes, duplexes and individual homes. If everyone in the public is made to believe that any landlord has the god-given right to charge ANYTHING they want if there's someone fool enough to pay it, and the only people who can afford to rent actual shelter have to make $4000/mo plus, where EXACTLY is everyone else who's not so fortunate to have those means supposed to live?? Visibly homeless persons are already treated as outright criminals or something on the level of invading animals in many municipalities. This of course is a crime against their basic human dignity and civil rights, but who's going to stop it? The Supreme Court just justified it in their eyes (we knew they would, not that that matters to me, as if I would ever allow one of these vipers to dictate my moral code to me), so I doubt any lower court is going to try to stand up for the humanity of those who happen to be in need and have no choice but to seek survival on the streets. For how much longer should we be having this problem? I don't know anyone that's asking for totally free housing, although I could think in a few situations where it would be justified as a transition measure. I do know is that all anyone is asking for acceptable or better housing that we can afford, along with basic rights to get some flexibility if we make can't provide the entire rent for any particular reason during our lease, without being instantly evicted. Emergencies and unexpected things happen - people should not be thrown out like trash because something happened that they had no way of predicting. We saw this with COVID and it was disgusting. A medical emergency, an arrest, a job loss, a family emergency- it could be anything!!!! Where are our protections against loss of our income so we don't have to lose our housing!!!??? But unfortunately so many landlords are natural full sociopaths so they don't lose sleep over it, and the law doesn't protect us. Listen to them talk online. Read their comments. these people are devoid of even the barest humanity or desire to understand others' struggles. Their greed is all they know or want to know. Everyone has a human right to decent shelter, sufficient desirable food and comprehensive medical care. Most people are no are more than willing to pay what they can for these things- yet everyone in this country who has these to provide wants to intentionally keep them out of more and more hands, while at the same time having the nerve to complain about rising poverty and those living on the streets. Where (and when) does this end??? When does access to these building blocks get to be considered a RIGHT, not a privilege for the lucky few!?! This country is full of evil and greed. Sad.

[@leafe-lu3jd]

I live in Tucson at Fox Point apartments and they have taken advantage and screwed us tenants over for years, for me 13 years here. They take forever on repairs, they do it terribly when they do it, same with pest control. I am so happy they are taking this on and even taking it to the government not just themselves because I tried to reach out to my mayor here and she has not just failed me but others as well here in Tucson. If you guys ever make it put here I'd love to do a report with you guys. Either way it is good this is finally getting attention.

[@johnchandler1687]

I sympathise and support these renters. On the other hand I've known people who paid off a house then moved to a nicer one and rented out the older one. The renters tore it up, didn't pay rent and were expensive to get out. So there's fault on both sides. Laws need to protect renters from predatory landlords, but landlords need protection from bad tenants, too.

[@starsoda8]

love my city, so proud of these people

[@BekkaPoo]

Now let's do it with taxes, student loans, and more! General Strike!

[@commentinglife6175]

Good luck with that. If I'm going to have to pay higher taxes to pay off your loans, I might as well pay for the old-school debtor's prisons cause at least then, I know you aren't enjoying the fruits of MY labor! I am not your slave. Stop demanding I be one!

[@HeckYep]

Americans definitely do not need to strike their taxes, we just need rich people to actually pay theirs. Infrastructure and social security are necessary for a functioning society, it just should be covered by the folks who have millions to spare.

[@HeckYep]

​@@commentinglife6175 Well this guy also seems to want lower taxes if you bothered to read. All your comments are so pathetically obtuse and over-emotional. We're trying to talk issues here: go outside, take a deep breath, and then come back if you've got something more to say than "Waaaaaah, I oppose social security."

[@commentinglife6175]

@@HeckYep Might want to look up the government statistics there. Rich people pay far more in income taxes than their fair share! Just imagine what would happen if they only had to pay what poor people are forced to contribute!

[@commentinglife6175]

@@HeckYep I am talking issues. I just fail to see how someone who doesn't pay taxes is going to suddenly find solidarity by striking alongside me who has to pay them. I mean, don't need a strike to lower taxes - stop voting for politicians who run to RAISE taxes! Take your striking workers and vote for the candidate who will lower taxes. Problem solved!

[@isaacorellana1754]

Finally good activism!

[@joeblowjo]

Lots of greasy landlords don't fix anything and ignore their tenants

[@commentinglife6175]

So move! Stop whining and move! Don't say you can't afford to; if that's your excuse, then you are "buying" crappy service with a lower rent payment!

[@mikepj67]

@@commentinglife6175 kinda excited 😆 maybe they are just pointing out facts

[@kyletrusler4565]

@@commentinglife6175 who knew being poor and not having options was an "excuse"

[@HeckYep]

B-b-but... But without a landlord who is going to put a layer of white paint directly over my electrical outlets? That's important work!

[@IMeMineWho]

​@@commentinglife6175Can your grandma move? How about the disabled? The immunocompromised? Those on fixed incomes? Do you know how much rents are now? In my state a 1 br. goes for 3k a month!😮 And moving costs a lot as well! I think this comment section has been infiltrated by bots..or corporate investment landlords!😑

[@ohiasdxfcghbljokasdjhnfvaw4ehr]

if they aren't fixing the building, ownership of the building should be forcibly taken away and distributed to the current residents.

[@callmerishy]

I’ve found that individual joe-schmo landlords are way worse and neglectful. They also have fewer regulations. The entire thing needs an overhaul.

[@epmike123]

The likelihood that your rent will be brought to market rent is a lot less likely with a mom and pop owner as opposed to a corporate owner.

[@ShineOnBenevolentSun]

I managed to break a lease because: the laundry room got up to 100+ degrees F in the summer, the big single-pane windows didn't lock and condensated puddles every night causing mold in the walls underneath. The landlord had owned the multi-family property since at least the 80s. She had just been doing minor repairs otherwise just sitting on it, collecting rent. It still had the entire original 1960s bathroom, including the original weakling bathroom fan, and literally zero insulation in exterior walls. Too many slumlords have been entitled to take take take without providing value because housing is a necessity.

[@nicklang7670]

There are so many more people who would like to organize for their right to safe and healthy housing. I used to pay rent for a bug infested moldy carpeted building with litter all around, and they sent a single person to clean once a month, and expected tenants to report other tenants for problems with the building! They are trying to stop tenants from standing together by making them report each other and making us and be paranoid about other tenants! If it is a problem for everybody in the building it should be cared for by management! They made millions from renters, but did not take care of the building! If your business is housing then invest in your housing. Many businesses and corporations that own housing are not investing in housing, they are investing in controlling more housing! Greed is not only about abusing more and more wealth but also about abusing more and more property.

[@sierrachoco5271]

Good for you guys - stick together no matter what!!