A landlord has faced a backlash on TikTok after recording how he raised a tenant’s rent from $1,100 to $2,200 a month.
TikToker Raul Bolufe (therealraulbolufe) posted a video in which he tells a tenant with more than a decade of experience that he will double her rent.
In the video, which has now gone viral, he called her to introduce himself as the new owner of the property and asked if she wanted to continue renting the house.
“You are currently rented for $1,100. This house is in Miami. This is a fairly low price in today’s market,” he explained. Raoul then told the woman that he would have to raise the rent if she stayed.
The landlord doubles the tenant’s rent
“I would like you to stay, but we need to raise the price a little. We could take the lower limit from $2,000 to $2,200,” he said.
“Are you kidding? This must be a joke! I can’t afford this shit. I have children, and I already work two jobs,” the tenant replied.
@therealraulbolufe Raising my tenant’s rent Part 1 #Realestate #Realestateinvesting #floridarealestate #rentalproperty #rent #realtorlife #landlord #miami #florida
In a subsequent video, the enraged tenant threatened to call the police and burn down the house, “so that no one gets anything.”
“If you don’t want to stay at that price, I’ll have to file a 30—day notice,” the homeowner said. “You could leave peacefully on time, but I definitely can’t make it work at this kind of rent.”
The tenant insisted that she would not pay a higher rent, and before hanging up, called Raul a “con artist.”
@therealraulbolufe Raising my tenant’s rent Part 2 #Realestate #Realestateinvesting #floridarealestate #rentalproperty #rent #realtorlife #landlord #miami #florida
In the comments, TikTok users criticized the landlord for doubling the rent.
“It’s funny… and he does it with a smile. That’s why no one can afford to live anywhere… it’s sad,” one user wrote.
“The dude really filmed himself like it was supposed to be well received,” another commented.
“Sorry, the landlord is wrong here. It is impossible to increase the rent by 100% under the current principle,” said the third.
“Has her lease expired? Sufficient notice must be given. He just hopes she won’t talk to a lawyer,” someone else shared.
At the moment, it is unclear whether the conversation between Raul and the tenant was real or a parody.
This is not the first time a landlord has caused outrage in TikTok; previously, a New York landlord was criticized for raising the rent for a rat-infested woman’s apartment by $800.
