Abolish Rent by Rosenthal, Tracy & Vilchis, Leonardo Summary

Abolish Rent exposes systemic injustices in the U.S. housing crisis, arguing that rent fuels inequality by prioritizing landlord profits over tenant welfare. Through historical analysis and grassroots tenant stories, it advocates for collective organizing to dismantle exploitative rental systems and reimagine housing as a communal right rather than a commodity.

This book is essential for renters, housing activists, policymakers, and social justice advocates seeking actionable insights into tenant empowerment. It resonates with anyone impacted by rising rents, evictions, or urban gentrification, offering a roadmap for building tenant unions and challenging real estate monopolies.

Yes—it combines sharp critique with inspiring examples of tenant victories, though some reviewers note it lacks detailed policy blueprints. Its strengths lie in vivid storytelling and clear-eyed analysis of housing exploitation, making it a rallying cry for urgent reform.

• Rent as exploitation: Landlords profit from hoarding housing, forcing tenants into financial precarity.
• Historical roots: Decades of policy decisions deepened racial and economic disparities in housing.
• Collective action: Tenants can resist evictions, demand rent controls, and build power through unions.

The authors emphasize forming tenant unions to stage eviction defenses, rent strikes, and citywide campaigns. Case studies highlight successes in Los Angeles, where organized tenants secured code enforcement and rent freezes by uniting across neighborhoods.

Both co-founded the Los Angeles Tenants Union, a grassroots organization combating evictions and gentrification. Their firsthand experience in tenant activism informs the book’s practical strategies and ideological framework.

The phrase condemns rent’s societal harm: homelessness, debt, and mental health crises caused by unaffordable housing. The authors argue that profit-driven landlording drains communities’ resources and stability.

While Evicted documents individual eviction stories, Abolish Rent focuses on systemic change through collective resistance. Rosenthal and Vilchis prioritize solutions over lamenting crises, urging readers to join tenant movements rather than solely empathize with victims.

Reviewers note the book overlooks practical challenges like funding community-owned housing and maintaining infrastructure without profit motives. However, its vision for tenant solidarity is widely praised as both radical and necessary.

With 100 million U.S. renters and evictions rising post-pandemic, the book’s call for rent abolition aligns with growing demands for housing justice. Recent tenant victories in cities like L.A. validate its strategies.

Justice entails decommodifying land, guaranteeing stable housing for all, and transferring control from landlords to communities. The book frames this shift as essential to ending racial and economic oppression tied to housing.

Yes—it advocates for social housing models, where tenants collectively manage properties, and campaigns for public investment in affordable units. These alternatives aim to eliminate profit-driven exploitation.