"Down with the landlords" : tenant activism in New York City, 1917-1920

Abstract

In 1920, the state of New York enacted the first rent control laws in the nation. Leading up to these laws were three years of tenant agitation and activism during a housing crisis of unprecedented proportions. Tenants worked collectively, employed the techniques of labor unions, and lobbied their state legislature, governor, and even the president for relief. This thesis examines in more detail the tenant activism of this period, through informal groups of tenants, city-wide associations, action in court and in front of city bodies, and on the state and federal level.