Corporate landlords are playing an increasingly important role in the rental market in Los Angeles and nationwide, creating new challenges for tenants and communities. The “corporate landlord” describes a complex and varied set of actors. This lecture breaks down their different forms, strategies, and practices, while examining their historical development, growing influence, and the factors enabling their rise, equipping participants with a clearer, more strategic understanding of corporate landlords.

Join us for a lecture followed by a moderated Q&A.

This event will take place on UCLA's Campus in Room 2355 of the Luskin School of Public Affairs building located at 1500 Public Affairs Building, 337 Charles E Young Dr E, Los Angeles, CA 90095.

There is metered parking along Charles E Young Drive, or we advise you park in Parking Structure #3, which will cost $12.

About Alex Ferrer:

Alexander Ferrer is a PhD student in Geography at UCLA and a movement-based researcher working with tenants of one of California’s largest corporate landlords.  His research focuses on the organization, management practices, and investment strategies of landlords and their strategic implications for tenant organizing. In addition to being a Rent Brigade member, Alex organizes with the Debt Collective and the Los Angeles Tenants Union.

About Chelsea Kirk:

Chelsea Kirk is a 2026 UCLA Activist-in-Residence. She is a tenant organizer, researcher, and policy advocate whose work is oriented toward building a better world without predatory landlords. She is the Director of Policy and Advocacy at Strategic Actions for a Just Economy. After the Los Angeles Wildfires, she co-founded the Rent Brigade a to document and combat illegal rent gouging. In 2025, she earned her UCLA Luskin Master of Urban and Regional Planning.