About  IUT

International Union of Tenants (IUT) is a non-governmental and not-for-profit membership organisation for global tenants’ organisations. IUT was founded in 1926 in Zürich, Switzerland. Since 1956 our head office is in Stockholm, Sweden with a representative office in Brussels since 2008. We have 74 member organisations in 51 countries, and are financed through membership fees. Guiding for all our work is the Tenants’ Charter.

Housing needs to be addressed locally, nationally and internationally. Affordable and sound housing is one of the safeguards for peace and security, a fundamental pillar in all democratic societies and necessary for labour mobility. Lack of affordable housing and homelessness are major ingredients in social exclusion. Tenants should have a right to participate in decisions affecting their homes.

A summary of IUT is available via this link.

Objectives

IUTs objectives include:

• Aiming to realise the right of everyone to good housing, and to a sound and healthy residential environment, at an affordable and fair rent.
• Residential democracy and a right to tenant participation.
• Security of tenancy and rent limitations.
• Tax neutrality regardless of the type of tenure.
• No discrimination with regard to age, gender, race, ethnic background, disability, sexual orientation or religion. 

IUT is Active

• Facilitates and organises co-operation between tenant organisations, sharing information and experience.
• Communicates news via the website.
• Publishes regular newsletters
• Lobbies the EU Institutions and disseminates information.
• Identifies and prioritises policy issues.
• Arranges and participate in seminars, conferences and ceremonies.
• Arranges working groups.
• Follows current research and commissions research.
• Works with membership organisations to analyse issues and influence decisions that concern tenants and requires international cooperation.
• Coordinates International Tenants’ Day, on the first Monday of October in each year.
• Partners with UN agencies, such as UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the UN Center for Human Settlements – Habitat, Nairobi, Kenya.
• Partners with the ENHR – European Network for Housing Research and APNHR – Asia-Pacific Network for Housing Research.
• Member of several EU networks and working groups related to housing, including   European Housing Forum, and the Housing Partnership for the EU Urban Agenda. 
• For details of partnerships, networks and organisations and groups which we follow, click here.

IUT and its members also promote the Tenants’ Charter.

IUT Head Office is in Stockholm, Sweden. IUT also has an EU Liaison Office to the EU, in Brussels Belgium. Please go to our Contact page for more information. You can also learn more about our organisation by reading the IUT Statues.