In the 1930s, working-class Londoners faced exorbitant rents and poor housing conditions, leading to widespread poverty and discontent. Rent controls introduced during WWI had been gradually reversed, prompting tenants to organize rent strikes in 1937, primarily driven by women and grassroots groups like the Stepney Tenantsβ Defence League. These strikes marked a significant moment in working-class history as families united to demand fairer rents and better living conditions, often resorting to barricading and community solidarity to resist greedy landlords.