In my country such unions are actually mandatory and apartment buildings are collectively owned by everyone living in that building. Active union's are amazing, my building just got a garden and a small bike shed is in the planning. The last place I lived got a whole renovation organize by the union.
No idea what that is. The direct translation to what it is is apartment union. Every resident is a member and we all vote what goes down on the general use areas of the apartment building. People who own their apartment have more leverage with their vote but people who rent have a say as well, most people in my country own an apartment though.
The general purpose areas of the apartment building are owned by everyone who owns an apartment in the building. Renters do have a say in the decision making though.
As for who pays: every apartment union I have been a part of we have a small apartment union charge on our utilities, usually like 10 euros at most. The amount has always been voted on. So everyone living there collectively pays.
What leverage do you have though? You can't go on strike, you're legally obliged to pay the rent you agreed to. You can't withdraw your labour, because you don't do any.
A lof of European countries do. If you rent long term, your lease is automatically renewed every 12 months and the rent increase is indexed in some consumer/ construction rate set up by the government. So no drastic increase. On the other end, if for some reason the tenant leaves and a new one arrives, the owner can set the new rent price as high as they wish in the limit of what’s authorised by the law as some metro areas have max rent prices and if you try to charge more then you’re fined.
Idk about a union... Maybe instead an anarcho-syndicalist commune. We take it in turns to act as a sort of executive officer for the week, But all the decision of that officer have to be ratified at a special biweekly meeting.
I don't get it.. Like can you say we can't pay your rent? They own the property and can do whatever they want with it? Or is it more like making everyone act in unison so that landlords are forced to take fair rent, or no one rents their prop? I'm down for that