A short history (Global Tenant, December 2005)

In 1917 the tenants formed “De samvirkende Lejerforeninger” DsL - The co-operative tenants unions. Lack of building material, due to war restrictions, had caused drastic low production of housing. At the start DsL kept itself clear from party politics and did not even consider itself as a part of the labour movement. In 1920 the DsL reached 50 000 members.

In the 1930´s the tenants unions became closer affiliated with the labour movement, but differences in opinions between the social democrats and the communists increased. In 1941 the Danmarks Lejerforbund, DL - The Tenants Union of Denmark was formed. DL became closely linked to the Social Democrats. DL became the largest tenants´ union in the years after the Second World War. DsL continued as a parallel union, now dominated by activists on the left.

In 1966 the two organisations joined to form the Lejernes Landsorganisation, LLO, a nationwide tenants‘ union. This decision was an act of showing real responsibility towards the interests of the tenants after some serious strikes against tenants in the legislation in parliament. LLO still enjoys good relations with the social housing sector, trade unions and the political parties connected to the workers movement, but the ties are not formal. The policies of LLO are mainly composed from the outcome of debates within the LLO.

LLO is the nation wide union of tenants in Denmark, with about 50 000 members. Some 45 percent of the Danes rent their dwellings, of which 20 percent enjoys public housing.

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