rent strike

noun

1. a temporary, organized refusal by tenants, as of an apartment building, to pay their rent, as in protest over inadequate services.

Word History and Origins

Origin of rent strike¹

First recorded in 1960–65

Example Sentences

For years, a major portion of the building’s tenants have participated in a rent strike, withholding payments in an effort to counter steep rent increases.

From Los Angeles Times

Tenants in 65 San Francisco households have been on a rent strike, some for nearly eight months, withholding their monthly payments over a host of issues they say have made their living conditions difficult .

From New York Times

Veritas is one of the largest landlords in San Francisco and owns most of the buildings where tenant associations have declared a rent strike.

From New York Times

The students leading the rent strike tweeted: "Shame on @OfficialUoM that they would rather do this than consider basic demands for affordable rent."

From BBC

“Look at your tenants as partners,” says Alonzo Johnson, who led a rent strike in 2020 against real estate company Emerald Equity Group as the tenant association president for one of the company’s properties in East Harlem, New York, where Johnson says he still lives.

From Seattle Times