You can reach us in three different ways:

• 📋 Fill our our BTOTF Interest Form

• ✉️ Email: berkeleytenantorganizing@gmail.com

• 📞Call or text: (510) 500-5977

The Berkeley Tenant Organizing Task Force (BTOTF) is made up of Berkeley renters like you. The Task Force is a joint project of the Berkeley Tenants Union, East Bay DSA, and the Office of Councilmember Lunaparra. 

BTOTF Mission Statement:

• Provide informational resources and assistance to tenants regarding their rights, with an emphasis on rights granted by the Berkeley Tenant Protection and Right to Organize Act (aka Measure BB, which passed in November of 2024). 

• Provide know your rights and tenant union organizational training to tenants. 

• Monitor the citywide implementation of the Berkeley Tenant Protection and Right to Organize Act, and advise the city on best practices and tenant concerns.

• Establish models and precedents for tenant unionization through early unionization efforts. 

• Train members of the task force to organize and provide resources to tenant peers during and after their term as task force members.

Interested in joining? Fill out our form: 📋 BTOTF Interest Form

In November, 2024, Berkeley voters approved Measure BB which established a legally enforceable right for most tenants to create unions in their buildings. Tenant unions have the power to negotiate with landlords for lower rents

Tenant unions can negotiate with landlords for things like habitability improvements and rent reductions. They can also file rent adjustment petitions on behalf of the all tenants for building-wide issues. You can even get back-payment in rent for issues that have occurred in the past!

Landlords are required to negotiate with tenant unions at least four times a year (if requested) in good faith. Failure of your landlord uphold the terms of lease, comply with habitability codes, or negotiate in good faith with unions may be grounds for building-wide rent reductions.

Without a tenant union, individual tenants can still file for rent reductions for any of these issues, but this takes a proactive tenant. Landlords may be more willing to simply pay out this one proactive tenant instead of solving the issue for the building. Unions allow all tenants to be fairly compensated for building-wide issues automatically with only one rent adjustment petition for the entire building. Because it applies to all tenants, landlords are much more likely to actually fix the issue and improve the building's habitability.

• Tenants in buildings with 10 or more units

• Tenants in buildings (of any size) managed by a professional property management company.

Organizing your building is quite simple! All it takes is signatures from one tenant in at least 50% of the occupied units in your building. For example, in a 10 unit building where 8 units are occupied, you'd need signatures from 4 units (including your own).

• Required information from each signer: Name, unit number

• Not required but helpful information from each signer: Move-in date, email, phone number

Once the signatures are gathered, you must email the completed petition to both the City of Berkeley and your landlord.

Unionizing activity is protected under Measure BB! This includes knocking doors, posting flyers in common areas, and flyer/talking to residents at the the entrance. Any retaliation or restrictions of unionizing activity by your landlord or property management company may be grounds for rent reductions for the entire building.

The BTOTF was created to encourage Berkeley tenants to unionize your building and we are here to help you at every step of the organizing process.

Creating a union: BTOTF can help you knock doors, print and post flyers, or talk to people at the entrance of your building.

Union activity: BTOTF can help you prepare for and send representatives to your union meetings or meetings with landlords. BTOTF can help with rent adjustment petition filing