A landlord was slammed on social media after he shared a video telling a tenant that he would increase her rent by more than double the amount she paid.
Miami real estate investor Raul Bolufe can be seen in a TikTok video on the phone with a woman he says is renting one of the properties he recently bought.
He explains that she’s currently paying $1,100 a month, which is a “pretty low price” given the area and “today’s market,” and similar properties in the neighborhood are around $2,500.
Raul suggests he “could take the lower end of $2,200,” to which the woman, who says she’s lived in the building for 10 years, exclaims, “Are you kidding me? This must be a joke! I can not afford that. I have children and already work two jobs. Where should I go now?’
To date, the clip has been viewed more than a million times, with many commenters claiming that Raul’s rent-raising tactic was meant to be illegal.
Miami real estate investor Raul Bolufe has caused a stir on TikTok. He filmed himself telling a tenant that her rent would go up from $1,100 to $2,500
“The sight made me sick. This is absolutely wrong with landlords,” one person said.
“I understand you’re paying a few hundred dollars more, but more than doubling your rent is preposterous.”
Another echoed similar sentiments, adding: “Ridiculous it’s legalized theft and he’s doing it with a smile. That’s why no one can afford to live anywhere, it’s sad.”
But some viewers spoke out for Raul, emphasizing his need to make money as a businessman.
“Most people comment as if they are the homeowner. At the end of the day, the property is a deal,” one person said.
“New owners have no contracts with the current tenants. He can raise the rent as much as he wants. If they don’t like it, they can leave,” wrote another.
However, some expressed skepticism as to whether the video was real or not.
In a follow-up video, titled “Raising My Tenant’s Rent Part 2,” Raul films another portion of the conversation he appears to be having with his inherited tenant.
In the clip, the woman threatens to burn down the house “so nobody gets anything” and to call the police.
Raul suggests he “could go on the lower end of $2,200,” to which the woman, who has lived in the building for 10 years, exclaims, “Are you kidding me? This must be a joke!’
In a follow-up video titled “Raising My Tenant’s Rent Part 2,” Raul films another conversation he has with his inherited tenant
Raul notices that the tenant doesn’t want to cooperate and says to her: “If you don’t want to stay for this price, I have to clean [out] With 30 days notice you could quit peacefully and on time, but at the current rent I definitely can’t make it work.’
In response to Raul’s ultimatum, the woman tells him that she will call her brothers.
Then she informs him, “I dare you to try to drive up and give us the eviction notice. That’s ridiculous. I pay no more than double my rent.
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“You think I don’t give a fuck about your investment. Pull up in front of the house, I dare you, we’ll be waiting here and it won’t be a good time for you.’
The woman then proceeds to hang up the phone. To settle matters once and for all, Raul is stopped outside the house in “Part Three”.
He explains that the woman texted saying she would be home. However, when he arrives, she refuses to meet with him.
She says on the phone, “You really thought I’d meet you in person after you tried to double my rent? I won’t pay more than $1,100.”
In a state of desperation, Raul tells the woman he would work with her “to try and 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 has none of it and simply says to Raul: “I’m not going.”
She also shared with him that she changed all the locks on the doors, “so don’t even try to put an eviction notice on my door … otherwise.”
He explains that the woman texted saying she would be home. However, when he arrives, she refuses to meet with him
She says on the phone, “You really thought I’d meet you in person after you tried to double my rent? I pay no more than $1,100.
Raul concludes by saying the woman gave him no choice but to call the sheriff.
The real estate pro’s third installment left viewers equally divided.
One person sided with Raul and wrote: “Expel them now. Insurance in Florida has almost doubled. The landlord does not run a charity. He was trying to be nice.’
However, another disagreed with the landlord’s actions, writing: “I have to side with them in this case, especially as there may be laws that put a cap on how much rent can be increased, but doubling it is wrong.”
In 2021, the top 50 cities in the US saw an average increase of 20 percent, forcing many renters to dig deep into their savings, downsize to subpar units, or default on payments.
Nowhere has the jump been bigger than in the Miami area, where the median rent rose to a whopping $2,850, up 49.8 percent year-on-year.
Then, in May 2022, the median rent in Manhattan hit an all-time high of $4,000 a month, a 40 percent increase from the previous year.
Earlier, Kelsey Barberio, 27, revealed in a TikTok video that her apartment’s rent has increased from $2,100 to $4,175 — a nearly 100 percent increase after just two years.
Experts say many factors are driving sustained astronomical rents, including a nationwide housing shortage, extremely low rental vacancy rates and unrelenting demand as young adults continue to enter the crowded market.