Kansas City tenants win contract, ending eight month rent strike
July 14, 2025
Kansas City Tenants Union (KCTU) members gained major concessions from their landlord. The successful negotiation led to the end of a historic rent strike that they say is the longest to ever to occur in the region.[1]
In early June, residents of Independence Towers in Kansas City, Missouri ended an eight month rent strike victoriously after reaching a deal with the property’s new owner, Dynasty Properties of Illinois.[2] Echoing the tactics of the labor movement, KCTU tenants negotiated a collective contract that stabilizes rents and imposes deadlines to complete major building repairs.[3]
Residents began their strike in October of 2024 in response to deteriorating living conditions and longstanding maintenance problems. Tenants reported holes in the ceiling, persistent pests, no air conditioning or heating, and nonfunctional appliances.[4]
Under the deal with Dynasty, residents will get the opportunity to renew their leases and will not owe any back rent from the strike. According to KC Tenants, the more than $289,000 withheld during the strike will not have to be repaid.[5]
In addition, the agreement set new rent prices. Tenants will either pay the same amount or see a slight increase, and some may end up paying less. Tenants will also get an option to sign a lease for a second year, with any rent increase capped at 5%.[6] There is also now a grace period for late rent payments and a ban on junk fees.[7]
The new landlord also agreed to make major repairs, including to the HVAC system, by November. While HVAC repairs are ongoing, tenants will receive a $75 monthly rent discount. The agreement also includes commitments to repair plumbing and to initiate building-wide pest control and in-unit repairs by the end of 2025.[8]
Crucially, the new contract also dictates that the landlord will not retaliate against tenantswho organize with the tenant union.[9]
Independence Towers tenants first formed their union in March of 2024 after they went without hot water for more than two weeks.[10] At the time, the property was owned by a different landlord, FTW Investments.[11] In the months after the union formed, tenants “waged a months-long pressure campaign” that led a county judge to appoint new temporary management, amongst other interventions from various levels of government.[12]
However, even under the new management, maintenance issues persisted. After a three year old passed away after falling out of an eighth-story window with a damaged screen in late summer 2024, tenants began organizing urgently towards a possible rent strike.[13]
To reach the deal, tenants negotiated through an elected bargaining committee. In early June, the bargaining committee reached a deal with Dynasty. Tenants voted to formally approve the deal the following day.[14]
The hard-fought win at Independence Towers “can really set a model for how tenants change the balance of power,” especially in states with few meaningful renter protections on the books, said KCTU organizer Justin Stein in an interview with In These Times.
KCTU is a member of the national Tenant Union Federation. Private Equity Stakeholder Project proudly supports TUF by providing research support to TUF member campaigns, including the organizing at Independence Towers.
[1] https://inthesetimes.com/article/rent-strike-victory-kansas-city
[2] https://www.kcur.org/housing-development-section/2025-06-05/independence-towers-tenants-end-8-month-long-rent-strike-after-reaching-deal-with-new-owner
[3] https://inthesetimes.com/article/rent-strike-victory-kansas-city
[4] https://www.kcur.org/housing-development-section/2025-06-05/independence-towers-tenants-end-8-month-long-rent-strike-after-reaching-deal-with-new-owner
[5] https://www.kcur.org/housing-development-section/2025-06-05/independence-towers-tenants-end-8-month-long-rent-strike-after-reaching-deal-with-new-owner
[6] https://www.kcur.org/housing-development-section/2025-06-05/independence-towers-tenants-end-8-month-long-rent-strike-after-reaching-deal-with-new-owner
[7] https://inthesetimes.com/article/rent-strike-victory-kansas-city
[8] https://www.kcur.org/housing-development-section/2025-06-05/independence-towers-tenants-end-8-month-long-rent-strike-after-reaching-deal-with-new-owner
[9] https://www.kcur.org/housing-development-section/2025-06-05/independence-towers-tenants-end-8-month-long-rent-strike-after-reaching-deal-with-new-owner
[10] https://inthesetimes.com/article/rent-strike-victory-kansas-city
[11] https://www.kcur.org/housing-development-section/2025-06-05/independence-towers-tenants-end-8-month-long-rent-strike-after-reaching-deal-with-new-owner
[12] https://inthesetimes.com/article/rent-strike-victory-kansas-city
[13] https://inthesetimes.com/article/rent-strike-victory-kansas-city
[14] https://inthesetimes.com/article/rent-strike-victory-kansas-city
