Instructions for founding a house community: Collective action as an everyday practice. ⋆ Mieter*innengewerkschaft Berlin

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We often have little to do with our neighbors and perhaps think that’s a good thing. On the other hand, owners and property managers confront us with numerous impositions that we as individuals have little to oppose. So why not join forces and form the most obvious alliances to counter this?
The building community can get things moving and at the same time engage in collective processes that promise co-determination and tenant emancipation. Together, it is much easier to counter the demands and threats of landlords, a jointly acting house community relieves individual tenants of many tasks and has a huge advantage when it comes to obtaining information. It is not without reason that an organized community lowers the value of a property. It also makes everyday life easier when people in a building get to know each other and start to support each other.
Neighbourly exchange in a house is a way of finding collective ways of dealing with socially individualized problems. Each emerging house community should negotiate for itself what goals the collective approach pursues beyond the exchange of solidarity. This raises the question: What are the issues and concerns of the neighbors and which concerns can be addressed particularly well together? This will determine the direction and objectives. In the following, we have outlined some typical challenges and recommended approaches to make the project easier. If you have any other experiences or tips, please let us know.

The tenants’ union in Berlin also offers workshops and advice on all aspects of house sharing: kontakt@mg-berlin.org.

1. briefly summarized: Advantages of a house community

What do we gain from connecting with our neighbors?

There are a thousand topics where people who are similarly affected can help each other: Be it a sales inspection or a joint appraisal for a problem such as mold infestation.
Of course, neighborly cooperation also has advantages in everyday life: whether it’s borrowing salt or a drill, finding someone to water the flowers more easily, setting up a communal swap shelf in the house, discussing conflicts in the house or shopping for the elderly lady on the second floor, there are many ways in which we can make everyday life easier for each other and save (our) resources together.
Concrete threats to individuals or everyone in the building can be dealt with much more effectively in a community. Rental problems are often linked to existential concerns that can be dealt with much better in a community.
All the problems that tenants have with their housing are not individual problems! This becomes just as clear through the exchange in the building as this exchange can be a response to it. In most cases, different perspectives on a problem are an enrichment and contribute to the solution.
We all have complex interactions with our fellow human beings and are dependent and vulnerable – in short, social, living beings who need the community . Markets and occasional elections as political forms of expression do not do justice to these relationships. A house community can be a way of countering structural isolation and loneliness in a cooperative form.
Beyond the house, houses can exchange ideas and join forces in initiatives, in the neighborhood, etc. and thus contribute to local networks more easily, i.e. in a way that also conserves resources.
Forming house communities is a step towards local self-determination. There are many issues that affect our lives that can be negotiated well in local co-determination.
Ultimately, local co-determination means a democratization of living conditions. Many aspects of renting are negotiated individually under private law between tenants and landlords and take no account of the social community. Building communities can be a first step towards collective rights.

2. preliminary considerations & initial discussions

How can a conversation be set up?

A successful exchange requires a conversation to begin. Only through exchange can we get to know our neighbors and build a cooperative relationship.
Many of us are nervous before ringing a stranger’s doorbell for the first time. It is sometimes easier to speak to neighbors in the hallway or if you meet somewhere else. On such occasions, an informal conversation can be started to get to know each other, or an exchange that already addresses a concrete common or perhaps individually perceived problem with the rental. If there is no directly apparent common problem, the house community can, for example, take the need for relaxation or informal exchange as an opportunity. A joint summer party in the courtyard or the greening of the courtyard can provide an opportunity for this. Small groups can easily form through direct exchange, which can trigger a larger house meeting.
The concrete advantages of joining forces often become apparent very quickly during an initial exchange in a group of neighbors. For example, it is possible to find out how (different) individual concerns are handled by the landlord or what problems there are in the building. In most cases, it turns out that problems that were previously seen as individual do not only affect you.
Basically, many questions and topics relating to your own home are also shared by your neighbors! The starting point for an exchange on common interests and topics is therefore favorable.

How can neighbors be approached if there is no specific emergency?

Say hello when picking up parcels or in the hallway and address a topic
get into conversation in a meeting place – in the courtyard, in communal areas, by the seating, by the garbage cans or by the bike racks
Finding simple common interests – caring for green plants in the courtyard, expanding bicycle parking facilities, overfilling garbage cans, etc.
Encourage summer party, fall party, Christmas party, street party, etc.
Exchange on the utility bill – Comes every year. Have you also received the utility bill? Have your costs also increased? Does one or other item seem strange to you? I would be interested in us comparing them, etc.
In the case of specific issues, the company can seek advice together, obtain information and do something about it

How can neighbors be approached if there is a specific emergency?

An acute reason for a conversation such as a modernization announcement, impending termination of personal use, defects in the house or similar … What is the best way to address this?

It is always helpful to first ask the other person if they have time to talk briefly about a topic in the house and, if this is not the case, to make an appointment for a later time.
A good way to start is to ask questions: Do you have … (mold, a sales inspection, no hot water, legionella, leaky windows, a service charge bill that is too high, etc.).
Describe your own problem or fears: I’ve just had a sales inspection, I’m worried and would like to talk to my neighbors about it; would you like to inform us together?
For a more detailed discussion of the problem or topic, an initial appointment with individual neighbors can help; complex issues can often be better discussed in peace and quiet over a coffee or on a short walk.
Draw attention to the advantages of collective legal advice, especially if more people have the problem in-house.

Important to know: There are offers for house communities

Some districts offer free legal advice, see here
The Berlin Tenants’ Association offers a discount and also collective consultations.
It can also be useful, for example, to invite particularly unruly tenants / other housing communities from the district to an exchange meeting → The MGB offers mediation and, depending on its capacities, regular exchange meetings.
There are numerous rental policy initiatives and local neighborhood meetings in Berlin – you may well find an initiative on your topic, where you can get advice and exchange ideas with others who have the same problem as you → please write to us, maybe we know an initiative on your topic or can tell you the local neighborhood meeting.
There is more information on the page about collective struggles on low-threshold collective forms of struggle that can be implemented well with a house community.
The MGB is also working on special offers for house communities, write to us and we can tell you what a membership for a house can look like and what advantages it brings.

3. obstacles and challenges when taking the first steps

What actually prevents us from talking to our neighbors?

As mentioned above, we have complex interactions with our fellow human beings and need the community. Our existence as individuals is an “ingenious” fiction, so to speak, and the structural isolation of our lives is the consequence of patriarchal, capitalist mechanisms. Below you will find some typical obstacles that often arise from this. Ultimately, every single attempt to revive collective cooperative action is important.

Anonymity

Living in a big city brings with it anonymity. Many people see this as an advantage and fear that they will give it up by moving in together. Some people even think that once a house community has been formed, they now have to talk all the time or that someone is always coming over. However, the connection with neighbors exists on a level that concerns less private, individual aspects. It is helpful to think that only common concerns are discussed together in the house. The fact that everyone has been alone with these issues up to this point creates a very natural focus on shared, common experiences and concerns when sharing in the household. It is often surprising how many common topics come together in such a house and individual issues often fade into the background all by themselves.

Vulnerability

Some people are afraid that they will open up too much or perhaps even make themselves vulnerable or open to attack. This fear is understandable, as we live in a society in which little value is placed on collective life apart from the family model, and in everyday life the protection of the individual is emphasized in competitive relationships.
Fear of failure can be particularly stressful. When we set out to organize a house community, we may tie our self-esteem to the success or failure of the undertaking. What if no one or only a few people stand with me? How much could that hurt me? These fears are completely understandable and normal.
However, this fear of failure is also based on excessive expectations of ourselves. We have to realize that there are already a large number of superficial and deeper relationships in the house. It is extremely unlikely that those of us who initiate the house community will cultivate such deeper relationships with everyone in the house. Therefore, instead of trying to start the house community based on our own relationships, it makes sense to understand the network of relationships in the house and specifically ask neighbors to use their close, cultivated connections. If we approach our task in this way, we get rid of the excessive expectations and hopefully also a large part of the fear of failure.
Opening up is a risk that is usually rewarded. Realizing that you are not alone in your situation and finding common paths to a solution can even be a healing process in an individualistic society.

Too shy

Restraint can be a virtue. However, fearing the judgment of others is a very common theme in our society. Collective processes are the best way to experience how valuable all the different ways of thinking and paths of each individual are. The others also have uncertainties and problems. And, of course, it is always true that each individual is the expert of their own life!

Conflicts in the house

Sometimes there are people in the house who put you off getting in touch at all. You don’t necessarily have to invite everyone to your first meeting. The obvious thing to do is to start by talking to neighbors with whom you like to say hello or something similar. The group may then be able to find common starting points on how to tackle existing problems. There is often a neighbor who has a completely different approach to the conflict in question and can help resolve or deal with it.
Fears can possibly be discussed in a trusted circle. The “social corrective” can tend to broaden one’s own perspective and counter fears in a spirit of solidarity. If individual neighbors are sexist, homophobic, racist or otherwise misanthropic towards others, this can of course
also be a reason not to invite them to meetings. Discussing such issues can also be relieving for those affected.

Oh no, don’t bother …

It can happen that the neighbors you think are interested are not. If there is no interest in networking in the initial conversations, this says nothing about how much interest there is in the house as a whole. If you approach neighbors and encounter people who are not interested, this says nothing about how another neighbor would react or how useful the activation is. Sometimes the first two or three people aren’t that interested and suddenly you meet other neighbors who are on fire, even though you wouldn’t be able to tell by looking at them.
Of course, there are also people who can’t see the point of networking, who think it’s “pure activism”, who are only interested in the joint courtyard party or who don’t want to get involved. If someone like this is well connected in the building and perhaps even represents an authority among the tenants, e.g. as the longest-standing tenant, then we have to deal with it: We have to understand this person’s reservations, take them seriously and respectfully try to invalidate them. After all, we often don’t succeed in building a strong (i.e. inclusive) housing community without the support of such a key person. However, if we are able to win them over and thus form a unity in the house, it usually strengthens our house community immensely. In any case, it is important to be patient!
Developing a network and communication structures before a problem becomes acute is always an advantage!

If you have any further questions or obstacles, please contact: kontakt@mg-berlin.org

4. first meetings

How can the first smaller meetings be initiated?

Invite your neighbors over for coffee to discuss a specific common problem. Smaller groups can easily form in a direct exchange, which can initiate a first house meeting.

If a smaller group has come together and is planning a large house community meeting, it is necessary to reach as many (renting!) neighbors as possible, which works well with flyers, for example, and possibly even better with door-to-door talks.
Rooms need to be found for such a potentially larger gathering. Your own living room is probably not necessarily the most suitable place. Not everyone feels comfortable in a café. Depending on the weather, the courtyard can become a place. In Berlin, there is now often a mixture of tenants and owners. It makes sense to find a protected space just for the tenants where everyone can speak freely.
It can be helpful to set a time frame for the meeting so that everyone is clear about what they are getting into. We do not recommend a period of more than 2 hours. However, not much can be discussed in much less than 2 hours. As most people can be busy with paid work until around 6 p.m., a time after this or a meeting at the weekend is advisable.

If you are looking for open rooms in your district, please contact us, maybe we can help you.

What can a first house community meeting look like?

Common topics have certainly already emerged in the initial discussions, if these were not already the starting point. Now it is time to collect the topics at the meeting and discuss approaches.
Moderation is helpful for this. This facilitates the discussion in the group. It can be an advantage if several people do this together. The aim is to steer the discussion and ensure that everyone present has their say and that the relevant topics are discussed. Untrained people should not expect too much of themselves when taking on the role of moderator. In this
context, we are all still learning.
Taking minutes of the meetings can be a great advantage in the further development of a house community.

Democratic, collective procedures can be learned! Decisive principles are: Thinking together and appreciating the different approaches. It is often helpful not to set the expectations for the course of the discussion too high and to focus
on eye level: Every neighbor is an expert on their own life!

What are the aims of the first major group meeting?

Find / prioritize common topics
Exchange about problems in the house
Record attendance and, if necessary, discuss where networking in the company still needs to be strengthened
Joint approach, consider goals of future exchange
consider how the degree of networking in the company can be tested objectively (e.g. by means of an internal petition)
Consider collective legal advice
Query / consider individual perspectives and capacities

What should you sort out before you break up?

State grievances and demands as concisely as possible (practical for an initial internal petition, for example)
Distribute tasks (for example, researching problem areas, contacting other neighbors, drafting a letter, writing a PM, etc.)
Plan appointments for collective legal advice etc. (there are good online tools for finding appointments: for example this one)
Communication, how do you stay in touch → chat group? (Signal or Telegram are relatively good for this)
Who sends the minutes / a summary of the meeting to the group ( online pads, e.g. from RiseUp) can be used for this, several people can work on texts at the same time, offline backup copies of texts are advisable in all experience)
Think about the next meeting on the topics identified, who will take care of this?

TIP 1

For meetings in larger groups, it is helpful to find a pleasant and constructive introduction. An opening round in which everyone states their expectations of the meeting or how they are feeling today can be useful. In the same way, a closing round can be initiated in which each individual can, for example, briefly formulate how they are leaving and what they are taking away. It is important to let the statements stand for themselves and not to evaluate them.

TIP 2

In social group contexts, we often talk in dialog form. Thinking in larger groups initially requires some discipline. The impulse to speak and the desire to enter into dialog must sometimes be suppressed in order for a conversation in the group to succeed.

TIP 3

For more frequent meetings in larger groups, a list of speakers can help. To do this, those who wish to speak raise their hands and speak in a certain order. For example, those participants who have not yet spoken are given the floor first. This sometimes makes it easier for people who have little practice speaking in a group to participate. Overall, you can also ask people to be a little shorter in their individual contributions so that a balanced discussion is possible.

TIP 4

After the first meetings, it is very helpful to create a communication channel through which it is easy to find and exchange information afterwards. Individuals can also be informed by analog means if they do not wish to use apps etc.

TIP 5

Specific topics or questions that arise and cannot be clarified spontaneously should be divided into smaller groups to ensure a constructive exchange within the larger group. If translation is required, it may also be possible to find someone who can take the time to explain at a later date.

5. initial actions and joint approach

Experience has shown that an approach based as much as possible on common problems is the most effective. The more concrete the problem itself, the more consensus a project can achieve within the company. There is often a greater mixture of political attitudes and experiences. To avoid getting bogged down in abstract discussions about acute problems, it sometimes makes sense to start with very specific grievances or shared wishes.
It can also make it easier to discuss certain procedures in smaller groups, which are then presented to everyone. A division according to skills and wishes can also be productive. As always, this applies in collective contexts: The different skills and perspectives can be more easily understood as enrichment with good communication. (Eye level, eye level, eye level!)
Neighbours can support each other with defects, modernization announcements, purchase inspections, rent increases or the many other issues that tenants face. If the building community is comprehensively networked and united, letters to the property management can be written and submitted together, receipts for service charges can be inspected as a group or the house can be decorated together. The building community can also set itself the goal of networking in the street, in the neighbourhood or on a specific topic, taking over its own building as a cooperative or acting as an independent body vis-à-vis an owners’ meeting.
The participants decide which goals to set according to the respective problem or interest areas. There are numerous initiatives in Berlin that have emerged from housing cooperatives and there is hardly any creative limit to the work of a housing cooperative.
A little megalomania can also be a good thing for urban design. Maybe you also want to fight for a car-free neighborhood or climate-friendly living – go ahead, it looks like we all have to take it into our own hands … Of course, the focus can also be on childcare, greening courtyards, designing sidewalks or joint celebrations.

You can take inspiration from other housing communities.
We have put together a brochure with some low-threshold means of struggle that are easy to implement collectively.
You can get advice on your ideas for a resistant, collective approach at the collective legal advice service.

Procedure, public relations & allies

First of all, it is important for your approach to find out who is actually responsible for which shortcomings in the housing situation and who the house would like to address.

Is the owner the contact person for the problems or objectives?
Is it about building pressure at a political level? Roughly speaking, decisions on housing are made at administrative level, district level, state level and federal level.

Regardless of whether you address your demands to the owner or to politicians, be aware of the material and ideological costs you are demanding from the other side. A self-managed flower bed in the courtyard will cost the owner little (at most a little pride), but replacing the malfunctioning central heating system may cost a lot. Your housing community must trigger a crisis for the other side that is big enough to make them accept your demand. A negative newspaper article can persuade politicians to make concessions during an election campaign – but it will make less of an impression on a shady letterbox company. So choose your resources according to the requirements.

Your household community always has relationships in the neighborhood; after all, you live here permanently. You can use your existing relationships in the neighborhood to strengthen your community in times of conflict. Of course, you can also see where you can help other communities and initiatives in the neighborhood so that you can strengthen each other. For example, perhaps you share the goal of freeing your neighborhood from the interest of profit-hungry buyers through targeted devaluation?

More often, several instances should be addressed. It is always helpful to network with other neighbors from the neighborhood or to get tips and ideas at a local neighborhood meeting or from initiatives, or to stay in contact and keep in touch. It cannot be emphasized often enough that tenants’ problems are not individual problems. They always affect many!

There are numerous press contacts who are interested in stories from the world of renting → But be careful: those affected are often portrayed primarily as victims. The room for maneuver of defensive tenants usually goes completely unmentioned. The press can be made aware of this and it is often worth taking the reporting into your own hands. Formats such as press releases, open letters or posters and flyers in the
neighborhood are a good example.

Creative, unusual actions are extremely helpful in generating other forms of attention! They are also sometimes more fun. Social media and a website are conceivable ways of making your cause and your actions visible. Many
house communities are in contact with each other on Twitter, for example, or network on Instagram. This is also a good way to reach the conventional press and politicians.

There are also some strategies that certain initiatives use. This can be, for example, an ongoing escalation of the conflict towards the owners directly or other creative methods of scandalizing grievances. In our experience, owners count heavily on their public image.
Similar to decision-makers at a political level. Unlike politicians, however, owners can never credibly claim that their actions serve the common good. Politicians must always be held accountable to this standard.

The MGB will be happy to advise you on strategic issues! Membership can be discussed in this context.

6. keep it up! … or otherwise?

Celebrating success and appreciating commitment

If you have implemented actions together, don’t miss out on celebrating small successes. Every house community you establish is already a huge success compared to an individualized society. Give yourselves a pat on the back for this! It’s not an easy (but very rewarding) task.
It is also helpful to promote an appreciative culture in which both small or inconspicuous contributions and greater efforts are valued.

Perhaps you would like to exchange ideas with other houses, please get in touch, we can arrange this locally.

Reflect on the procedure

Once you have planned and carried out the first actions in the group, it is also important to ask yourself questions such as:

What went well and what went less well?
Which effects could be generated by which means?
What conflicts or tensions were there?
Do we still have a broad majority in the House on our side? How do we want to test this objectively?
What wishes and needs should be taken into account in future joint action?

TIP

Conflicts are part of all interpersonal relationships! It is important to deal with them constructively. A lot can be learned from conflicts.

Problems and challenges with first actions or joint actions

First everyone is there and then no one comes to the meeting? It can happen that everyone raises their hand when it comes to a certain procedure and then only very few come to the meeting. Of course, there can be many reasons for this. Sometimes some people feel under pressure to signal their willingness, when in fact they are not yet convinced. In other cases, key people in the house have a dampening effect on the community by openly doubting common demands or methods.
As in other collective contexts, it is very important to openly inquire about willingness or to discuss other wishes or alternative approaches. Of course, it is always helpful to be aware that there are many approaches and very different people. For some, it helps to ignore problems, while others prefer to tackle them.
Many people only become interested when a specific threat to them emerges that can be dealt with collectively. For the activist minds among us, the political horizon of solidarity-based action is perhaps not necessarily the best way to encourage inexperienced neighbors to get involved. It is often our task here to listen and understand what our neighbors want for concrete improvements in the here and now.
What should not be underestimated in all approaches is that those involved must be convinced. This means that, in the perception of those involved, the actions should potentially be “successful” and individual risks should always be mitigated by collective action. It is understandable that neighbors do not want to risk being one of three “troublemakers” in front of the owner. However, if it is clear that they are acting as part of a comprehensive, broad community, this increases the willingness to take risks and thus also the chances of success.
However, countless factors come together, and it can be depressing or even create a bad feeling about the house if the commitment of neighbors falls far short of the desired level or an agreed division of labor. This shows whether our relationships in the household community are stable enough for us to be able to rely on each other. Just as we sometimes ask close friends tough questions, we also sometimes have to ask our close-knit neighbors: Do you think we can do this without your help? Are you okay with missing important decisions around the house? Such confrontations are hopefully only very rarely necessary, but can help to clear up mixed signals.
And in such cases, it is all the more important to exchange ideas with other companies or initiatives. At the same time, there are often moments of happiness when everything goes smoothly or a neighbor writes an ingenious press release on a common topic, for example. Something like that can make up for everything. And like everywhere else in life, there are sometimes ups and downs. As always, it is important to avoid jumping to conclusions

In the end, the work is left to a few individuals?

In many collective contexts, tasks are not always distributed fairly. This can be frustrating or quickly limit your stamina. First and foremost, it is important for each individual to know their own limits and only take on tasks that they really want to do.
Going beyond your own limits can definitely harm a collective! Finding a good balance can take some time. A balanced division of labor is always a central challenge for collective contexts and a subject of negotiation.
For example, some participants are happy to only fulfill tasks and not plan the entire orientation. The same task can be very different challenges for different people.
So it helps to talk about your own ideas of participation and to reflect on them after joint activities at the latest.

We got something going but hardly any results?

This can also mean frustration, but perhaps the positive moments of the process outweigh the negative ones. There may also have been bitter losses for all or some. Perhaps you can try other approaches and or encourage networking beyond the house community. Perhaps some people are so frustrated that they don’t think that further efforts are worthwhile. This can happen. Different conclusions can be drawn. However, this does not mean that the attempt to act collectively loses its meaning. More often, an atmosphere of solidarity is created in the house or acquaintances and friendships develop. In any case, the effort was worth it.
In any case, you should reflect on the reasons for the failure: Were the relationships in the house not sufficient to form a strong, cohesive house community? Were you able to network well within the house, but were you unable to trigger a big enough crisis with the other side to realize your demands? Depending on the answers, there may be starting points for a new attempt after you have recovered and gathered some new strength.

We have achieved something and now everyone goes their own way

This may mean a break or the household community context may be seen by many as more functional. It can be revived at the latest when the next problems arise or, if there is interest, on other more informal occasions. If some people have done a lot, this is a good opportunity for others to take the initiative.
The challenges for a sustainable connection of the house community are of course also due to our living and working conditions. Nevertheless, the practice of house community building has the potential to develop into a larger movement in the coming years. Collective rights could come within reach by organizing at house level, and decisive moments of pressure can be generated by locally networked tenants. Building communities could become a starting point for a cooperative city in which life and the common good take center stage.

Instructions for founding a house community: Collective action as an everyday practice.