Welcome to the Portland Tenants United membership hub for our members to communicate, plug in, pay dues, and actively participate in PTU.
PTU's mission is to empower and organize tenants to challenge oppressive housing policies and practices and to demand housing stability, security, and dignity for all tenants in the Portland Metro area.
Becoming a MemberBecoming a member in PTU is easy and the best way to support the work of PTU and Portland renters -- almost 50% of the population of Portland! Dues are $5 a month. If you are a Portland-area tenant then you can sign up to be a tenant-member. If you do not identify as a tenant, or are outside of the Portland metro area, but you want to show your support and solidarity, then please sign up to be a supporting member. Tenant members get to vote on issues brought before the general membership and have access to any services offered by PTU.
Being a dues paying member is the best way to ensure that our work continues to be driven by our members, and not by needing to satisfy big donors and grant funders. Our independence and committment to the real needs of our member and not the feelings of elected officials is the source of our power!
We'll be adding content to this page soon to help you get involved in the work at any level that appeals to you. But joining PTU as a member is the first step!
This is what solidarity looks like.
Portland Tenants Unite!To join Portland Tenants United, we ask that you read the Points of Unity (below) and agree to act in accordance with them. Then click the button at the top right corner of this page that says '
Become a Member' to create a profile here and we will be in contact with the next steps!
Points of Unity1. Housing is a human right. We all have a right to a safe, secure, and habitable home. Fulfilling this basic human need is critical to maintaining healthy communities and a just and equitable society.
2. Tenants have the right to rent available housing in their communities without discrimination based on race, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, political ideology, lifestyle, age, family status, marital status, source of income, disability, non-violent criminal record, health history, rental history, credit score, or subjective assessments by housing providers.
3. Tenants have the right to stability, predictability, transparency, and accountability with regard to all contractually bound housing expenditures.
4. Housing providers supply a critical public service that should serve primarily as an investment into the health and welfare of the community, not as a vehicle of personal wealth. As such, they must prioritize the stability, welfare, and dignity of their tenants over the profitability of their property.
5. Tenants have the right to a reason, to a remedy, and to remain; they will not be displaced without cause, or without recourse and relief from the burden of displacement.
6. Tenants have the right to advocate for their rights as tenants and citizens, and to assert their beliefs and opinions, without risk of retaliatory action that could adversely impact current or future tenancy.
7. Tenants have the power, the right, and the agency to organize for mutual aid and protection, and to determine the rules and conditions of their tenancy through collective bargaining and other means.
8. In order to challenge the exploitation of tenants by housing providers and moneyed interests and to dismantle the current landlord–tenant paradigm, tenants must organize for alternative housing models such as public housing, supportive housing, collective ownership/management models, and cooperative living.