Corporate Landlord Tenant Associations
Our Corporate Landlord Tenant Associations began as a response to Veritas Investments, San Francisco’s largest private landlord. In 2017, we launched the Veritas Tenant Association (VTA), uniting tenants across more than 100 Veritas-owned buildings. Through the VTA, renters came together to assert their rights, fight against unjust practices, and secure meaningful improvements in their housing conditions. Since then, we have expanded our focus to many corporate landlords across San Francisco.
As corporate ownership of San Francisco’s housing stock grows, so has our fight. What started with Veritas has evolved into a broader movement against major corporate landlords who put profit above people. Today, our Corporate Landlord Organizing unites renters from across the city, empowering them to defend their homes, stop evictions, and fight for fair housing conditions.
What We Do
Our organizing approach is rooted in empowering tenants to take collective action against corporate landlords who prioritize profits over people. We go door-to-door, building relationships with tenants, fostering leadership, and supporting them in organizing their buildings—starting with petitions and progressing all the way to direct negotiations with landlords. We focus on large corporate landlords as part of a strategic intervention to challenge the financialized real estate system and shift the balance of power in favor of tenants.
We’ve supported renters across San Francisco secure rent reductions, improve building maintenance, and win debt forgiveness. We work closely with tenants, developing their leadership skills and ensuring they have the tools needed to advocate for themselves and their communities.
The Veritas Tenant Association (VTA), launched in 2017, remains a cornerstone of this movement, organizing renters in more than 100 Veritas-owned buildings. VTA members have fought for and won major improvements, from better construction practices to rent relief.
In 2022, our work led to the passage of the Union-At-Home ordinance (more info here) which grants tenants collective bargaining rights and redefines organizing as an essential housing service. This legislation has opened the door for tenants citywide to negotiate directly with corporate landlords, establishing a new era of tenant power in San Francisco.
Major Wins
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2025
Through unionizing and rent strikes, tenants in 3 buildings won over 1/2 a million dollars from corporate landlords and closed out a citywide rent strike.
320 14th Street is sold from corporate landlord ownership to the Community Landtrust, creating permanent affordable housing for all residents, due to the tireless organizing of the tenant union.
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2024
Tenants won rent decreases, waived late fees, and other benefits, such as multilingual notices for tenants, elevator modernization and pest control commitments, and access to vendor contracts and financial ledgers.
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2023
As Veritas defaulted on major loans and began selling off parts of its portfolio, the VTA supported tenants through rent strikes and eviction defense. We mobilized to challenge habitability issues and fought to ensure tenants weren’t displaced as buildings changed ownership.
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2022
We secured the groundbreaking Right to Organize legislation, which grants collective bargaining rights to tenants in 33 buildings. This legislation paved the way for direct contract negotiations between tenants and landlords, with a focus on issues like rent increases, habitability, and tenant debt.
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2021
The VTA led a debt strike involving 60 tenants across 40 buildings, resulting in an estimated $100-150k in rent debt forgiveness per unit. This strike was part of our larger effort to address the burden of rent debt accumulated during the pandemic.
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2019
After leading the passage of citywide legislation to stop landlords from passing on debt service and property tax as part of 7% rent increases, VTA members succeed in rolling back 7% rent increases at 34 buildings, benefitting 532 households across the city. This was the VTA’s first significant rollback of rents achieved through organizing and public action.
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2017
First citywide gathering of Veritas tenants from 15 buildings
Know Your Rights
The first of its kind in the country:
The Union At Home (UAH) law gives San Francisco tenants new rights and protections to organize themselves and bargain collectively with powerful landlords.
You have the legal right to collectively bargain with your landlord: San Francisco tenants are now encouraged to form legally recognized unions that collectively bargain over rent levels, passthroughs, maintenance, safety and much more. Report any violations of your rights right away.
Legally Recognized: If your building is five units or more and owned by a private landlord, then you and your neighbors are eligible to form a Union At Home (UAH).
Right to Organize: You have the right to speak to your neighbors about forming a Union At Home (UAH), hold meetings in common areas, and invite guests to join you.
Right to Bargain: Once you form a Union At Home (UAH) your landlord is required by law to bargain with you and your neighbors in good faith.
Simple Majority: The only requirement to start a Union At Home (UAH) is to getting the support of more than half of your neighbors—then you submit a legal petition.
Rent Reduction Penalties: If your landlord violates your right to organize or fails to bargain in good faith you and your neighbors may be entitled to rent reductions.