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Bryan Sullivan Speaks to Bisnow About Tenant Unions in New York City
Bryan Sullivan recently spoke to Bisnow about the recent uptick of tenant unions in New York City following the bankruptcy proceedings of Pinnacle Group, which led to the sale of more than 5,200 rent-stabilized apartments. Notably, the Union of Pinnacle Tenants has earned an ally in Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who recently participated in a virtual town hall meeting in order to listen to the union’s concerns and has made addressing the rising cost of living in the city a core focal point of his agenda while in office.
The Tenant Power Act, introduced last month, would require landlords to negotiate with unions and create a statewide tenant association to assist in organizing if passed. Bryan tells Bisnow that tenants can exercise their rights more powerfully by organizing in large groups to submit complaints to the city.
“If it’s a 60-unit apartment and 58 units are filing complaints, [government agencies will] take that a lot more seriously than a 60-unit apartment and two units are filing complaints,” Bryan explains.