Supervisor Peskin asks city attorney to draft changes to expand tenants— right to organize under Chapter 49A

Supervisor Aaron Peskin on Sept. 1 asked the City Attorney to draft changes to Administrative Code Chapter 49A to move beyond communications rights and to expand tenants— right to organize, particularly in large multifamily properties. Peskin framed the request as an effort to give tenants a formal voice in discussions with large landlords.

Peskin cited recent organizing among tenants at Veritas Investments properties and said tenants had sought mediated discussions with landlords over pandemic-era issues including use of federal relief funds and housing stability. "I'm asking the city attorney to start drafting changes to Chapter 49A, to expand communication to the fundamental right to organize, in those building typologies," Peskin said. He said he hoped the measure would not be adversarial and would find support among tenants and landlords.

Multiple callers from the Veritas Tenant Association and other tenant groups later spoke in general public comment supporting a tenant right-to-organize measure and describing problems getting meetings with large corporate landlords. Supervisors registered support for further work; Peskin indicated he would pursue a drafting instruction to the City Attorney.

Why it matters: Expanding legal protections for tenant organizing could shape tenant-landlord negotiations in large multifamily buildings and could give tenant groups formal recognition and bargaining channels without requiring labor-law proceedings.