Six tenant rights groups around North Carolina are forming a statewide tenant union. The group will focus on supporting local efforts to unionize landlords and expand tenant rights across the state.
The North Carolina Tenants Union is a network of six local groups in Asheville, Charlotte, New Bern, New Hanover, Raleigh-Durham, and Winston-Salem.
“What we want to do is dramatically expand tenant rights in North Carolina,” said Executive Director Nick MacLeod.
MacLeod said the group will help renters who want to unionize apartments, mobile home parks and public housing.
“This is so we can negotiate the lease together and advocate for repairs if necessary,” he said.
The group will also lobby for stronger legal protections for tenants, including capping rent increases, making arbitrary evictions illegal, and requiring landlords to clean and prevent mold.
Associations can also provide legal representation to tenants in eviction court, something nearly all landlords currently lack. In North Carolina, more than 1.4 million households rent their homes. This represents one-third of the households in the state.