Where We've Been

For decades, Pinnacle Group took tenants’ rent checks and ignored our requests for repairs and basic maintenance. Across the city, our landlord and the like used systematic neglect and illegal rent increases to drive out long-term tenants and drive up rents. The Union of Pinnacle Tenants was founded in the fall of 2025 after our landlord, Pinnacle Group, filed for bankruptcy and put 93 of its buildings up for auction in bankruptcy court. Unsure if your building was part of the bankruptcy auction? Click here for a list.

We came together to say: ENOUGH! We’re rent stabilized, we’re organized, and we want a say in who controls our homes. We formed a citywide tenant union to demand improved living conditions and to demand a seat at the table in the auction. We rallied tenants’ associations in buildings across the city. We organized for the Legal Aid Society to represent our interests in court with twenty-two elected officials pushing for our demands. And together, we won the support of Mayor Zohran Mamdani on his first day in office.

In January, a bankruptcy judge approved the sale of the 93 buildings from Pinnacle Group to Summit Properties.

However, because of our collective power and organizing, we won guarantees of repairs for these buildings:

● Summit will be forced to cure all Class B and C violations of the city housing codes

within six months of taking ownership.

● Summit will spend at least $30 million on repairs and maintenance in the first 5 years.

What's Next?


Because of what we have already accomplished, we have opportunities to secure better living conditions and protect our rights. We're collecting tenant's demands and taking them directly to our landlords, to ensure they are finally met. At the same time, we're working directly with the Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants (MOPT) and the NYC Department of Housing Preservation & Development (HPD) to support our fight.

Our strength comes from organizing together. When tenants act collectively we can push landlords to negotiate with us and ensure our demands are met. The first step is making sure our demands reflect what tenants actually need. We are inviting tenants across all Pinnacle and Summit buildings to help shape these priorities. We will engage with the power of city agencies, with our support from elected officials, and with media attention and more forms of escalation with collective action, to pressure our landlords to give us what we deserve.

 

The History of Our Fight

Follow our progress toward

JaNUARY 2025

FLAGSTAR BANK FORECLOSURE

After months of Pinnacle Group taking our rent money,
and not paying their mortgages, Flagstar Bank initiated foreclosure proceedings on the homes of thousands of New Yorkers, living in 93 rent stabilized buildings.

MAY 2025

PINNACLE DECLARES BANKRUPTCY

In order to stall the foreclosure, Pinnacle filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, allowing it to continue operating while restructuring its debts and preparing to auction off our homes.

SEPTEMBER 2025

TENANTS COME TOGETHER

Tenants across buildings from Crown Heights to Inwood began organizing, forming tenant associations, connecting with neighbors, and building the foundation of a citywide union

LATE 2025

OUR ORGANIZING EXPANDS CITY-WIDE

The Union of Pinnacle Tenants expanded across the city, holding rallies and assemblies, building visibility, and growing collective power. Tenants began enlisting support from elected officials and researching ways to intervene in the bankruptcy auction process.

JANUARY 2026

MAYOR MAMDANI JOINS THE FIGHT

Zohran Mamdani held a press conference in the lobby of a Pinnacle building, pledging support for tenants fighting for stable, affordable housing, and announcing the creation of Mayor's Office to Protect Tenants.

FEBRUARY-MARCH 2026

BUILDING COLLECTIVE POWER AND VISION

Union-wide town halls brought tenants together to identify priorities and shape a collective demands for improving the condition of our housing.

WHAT's NEXT?

KEEP UP THE FIGHT

With a united platform, tenants will push for negotiations, backed by strong collective organizing, public pressure, and support from city agencies, to win lasting improvements in our homes and communities.

Join Us!

Join us in fighting for a say in our housing!

Join Us