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A landlord came under fire on social media after sharing a video that appeared to show him telling a tenant that he was going to increase his rent by more than double the amount he was paying.
Miami real estate investor Raúl Bolufe can be seen in a Tik Tok video on the phone of a woman who says she rents one of the properties she recently bought.
He explains that he currently pays $1,100 a month, which is a “pretty low price” considering the area and the “current market,” and similar properties in the neighborhood are around $2,500.
Raúl suggests that he could ‘take the lower end of $2,200’, to which the woman who says she has lived in the building for 10 years exclaims: ‘Are you kidding me? That has to be a joke! I can’t afford that shit. I have kids and I’m already working two jobs. Where do you want me to go now?
To date, the clip has been viewed more than a million times, with many commenters claiming that Raúl’s rent-raising tactics should be illegal.
Real estate investor Raúl Bolufe, from Miami, has caused a stir on TikTok. He filmed himself telling a female tenant that his rent would go from $1,100 to $2,500
‘Watching this made me sick to my stomach. This is absolutely what happens to homeowners,” one person said.
“I understand going up a few hundred dollars, but more than doubling your rent is grotesque.”
Echoing similar sentiments, another added: “Ridiculous, it’s legalized theft and he does it with a smile.” That’s why no one can afford to live anywhere, it’s sad.’
But some viewers spoke out in favor of Raúl, highlighting his need to earn money as a businessman.
‘Most people comment as if they own the house. At the end of the day, ownership is a business,” one person said.
‘The new owners have no contract with the current tenants. You can raise the rent as much as you want. If you don’t like it, you can leave,” wrote another.
However, some expressed skepticism as to whether or not the video was real.
In a follow-up video titled “Increasing My Tenant’s Rent, Part Two,” Raúl films what appears to be another part of the conversation he is having with his inherited occupant.
In the clip, the woman threatens to burn down the house “so nobody takes anything” and call the police.
Raúl suggests that he could ‘take the lower end of $2,200’, to which the woman who has lived in the building for 10 years exclaims: ‘Are you kidding me? That has to be a joke!
In a follow-up video titled ‘increase my tenant’s rent, part two’, Raúl films another conversation he has with his inherited occupant.
Realizing that the tenant is not willing to cooperate, Raúl tells her: ‘If you don’t want to stay for that price, I’m going to have to put [out] a 30 day notice you could leave peacefully on time, but I definitely can’t make it work with that current rent amount.’
In response to Raúl’s ultimatum, the woman tells him that she is going to call her brothers.
He then informs her: ‘I dare you to try to stop and give us the eviction notice. This is ridiculous. I will not pay more than double my rent.
‘You think I give a shit about your investment. Come to the house I challenge you, we will be here waiting for you and it will not be a good time for you.
The woman then proceeds to hang up the phone. In an attempt to settle the matter once and for all, Raúl is seen in the “third part” being held outside the house.
He explains that the woman said by text message that she would be home. However, when he arrives, she refuses to meet him.
She says over the phone, ‘Did you really think I’d meet you in person after you tried to double my rent? I’m not paying more than $1,100.’
In a state of exasperation, Raúl tells the woman that he would work with her ‘to try to figure this out,’ but his insurance and taxes alone add up to $1,100 a month.
He continues, “I’m trying to get you the best price here.”
However, the tenant does not accept anything and simply tells Raúl: ‘I’m not leaving’.
He also informed her that he had changed all the locks on the doors, ‘so don’t even try to put an eviction notice on my door…or else’.
He explains that the woman said by text message that she would be home. However, when he arrives, she refuses to meet him.
She says over the phone, ‘Did you really think I’d meet you in person after you tried to double my rent? I am not paying more than $1,100’
Raúl concludes by saying that the woman has left him no choice but to call the sheriff.
The third installment of The Property Pro left viewers equally divided.
One person took Raúl’s side, writing: ‘Evict her now. Insurance in Florida has almost doubled. The owner is not running a charity. He tried to be nice.
Yet another disagreed with the landlord’s actions, writing: “I have to side with you on this, especially since there may be laws that put a cap on how much rent can be raised, but doubling it man is wrong.” “.
In 2021, there was an average 20 percent increase in the 50 largest US cities, forcing many renters to dig into their savings, downsize to smaller units, or fall behind on payments.
Nowhere was the jump bigger than in the Miami metropolitan area, where median income rose to a whopping $2,850, 49.8 percent more than the previous year.
Then, in May 2022, the median rent in Manhattan reached an all-time high of $4,000 per month, an increase of 40 percent over the previous year.
Earlier, 27-year-old Kelsey Barberio revealed in a TikTok video that the rent for her apartment had increased from $2,100 to $4,175, an increase of nearly 100 percent after just two years.
Experts say many factors are responsible for the sustained astronomical rents, including a nationwide housing shortage, extremely low rental vacancies and relentless demand as young adults continue to enter the crowded market.