Landlord criticised over video showing him informing tenant of 10 years he’s doubling her rent: ‘Pure evil’

‘Doubling the rent cannot be justified,’ one viewer says

A landlord has sparked a debate on social media after sharing what he claimed was a phone conversation between himself and a tenant about raising her rent.

Raul Bolufe, from Miami, Florida, frequently shares real estate advice with his followers on TikTok, where he goes by the username @therealraulbolufe, and where he describes himself as a “real estate investor, coach and landlord”.

However, Bolufe recently divided viewers after sharing a video of a conversation with a woman he claims is a tenant, in which he informed her he would be raising her rent from $1,100 to at least $2,200.

In the video, which Bolufe captioned: “Raising my tenant’s rent part one,” he introduced himself to the woman on the phone before informing her that he allegedly purchased the house she has been renting from the previous owner for the last 10 years.

After asking the woman whether she plans to stay in the home, Bolufe then informed the tenant that he will be doing some renovations and repairs on the house. He then informed her that he wanted to discuss the rent, at which point he claimed that her $1,100 rent is a “pretty low price in today’s market” for a house in Miami.

In response to his initial question, the tenant said she wished to stay in the home, as she has lived there for 10 years. However, Bolufe then claimed “there’s houses in that area going for $2,500,” but that he could “take the lower end, $2,200”.

The landlord’s comment prompted anger from the woman on the phone, who said the proposed increase “has to be a joke”.

“That’s over double my current rent,” she explained, adding: “I can’t afford that sh*t. I have two kids and I’m already working two jobs as it is. Where do you want me to go now?!”

In a follow-up video, the woman continued to express her concern over the suggested rent increase, with the alleged tenant heard telling Bolufe she should “call the cops”.

In response to the woman’s reaction, Bolufe informed her that he would have to put a 30-day notice on her home, and that she could “leave peacefully on time”.

“But, I can’t make it work at that current rent amount,” he continued.

Bolufe’s response prompted the woman to suggest the rent increase, and his threat of eviction, was “ridiculous”.

“I’m not paying over double my rent,” she said, at which point the TikToker said he would have to place a 30-day eviction notice on her home. “I wanted to try to solve this but if you can’t go up, I understand,” he said.

In response, the tenant asked Bolufe whether he thinks she “gives a sh*t about his investment,” before she reiterated that she would not pay his suggested rent. “Pull up to the house, I dare you. We’ll be here waiting and it won’t be a good time for you. This sh*t is ridiculous and you’re a con artist,” she could be heard telling him, before hanging up.

In a third part, Bolufe, who filmed himself sitting in his car, informed the woman allegedly living in the house he purchased that he was “at the property right now” because she’d “said [she’d] be home”.

However, the woman then questioned why Bolufe assumed she’d meet him in person after he tried to “double [her] rent”. “I’m not paying more than $1,100,” she continued.

The tenant’s comment prompted Bolufe to reiterate that the properties in the area are renting for $2,500, and that he wanted to “work with” the tenant to make the rental agreement work. “I told you I’d work with you to be able to try and figure this out,” he said. “I’m trying to make this possible here.”

After the woman responded with exasperation, Bolufe acknowledged that he “hears” her issue, but claimed that he “owns the property now and it’s worth a lot more”.

“Just my taxes and insurance alone are $1,100 a month,” he claimed. “I’m trying to get you the best price here.”

In response, the woman informed Bolufe that he could “try to evict” her if he wanted, before adding: “I’m not leaving. Good luck. Oh, and I changed the locks too, by the way, so don’t even try to put an eviction notice on my door, or else.”

The tenant’s response prompted Bolufe to reiterate his claim that he “really wanted to try to work something out,” before he said he would be returning with the “sheriff”.

The woman ended the call by informing Bolufe that she was “done” talking to him, and would be blocking his number.

On TikTok, where the videos have each been viewed more than one million times, many viewers have criticised Bolufe for his handling of the situation, and for his alleged attempt to raise the tenant’s rent by more than double.

“Trying to double the rent is ridiculous,” one person commented, while another said: “Doubling the rent cannot be justified.”

Someone else said they were “siding with” the tenant in this instance, as they alleged that “doubling the rent is ridiculous”.

Others argued about the legality of Bolufe’s alleged attempt to raise the tenant’s rent, with one person claiming that it isn’t possible to “raise someone’s rent in an active lease”.

“Florida state law states even if properties are sold, new owners have to uphold the lease or buy the tenant out of the lease,” someone else alleged.

According to landlord and tenant resource website I Property Management, landlords in Florida can raise rent by any amount they wish, if they inform the tenant in writing. In Miami-Dade County, “landlords must give tenants 60 days’ notice before increasing the rent by more than five per cent.

However, the website also states that “landlords cannot raise the rent during the middle of a lease’s fixed term (unless stated otherwise in the lease agreement)”.

Although many viewers claimed Bolufe was in the wrong, some suggested that the landlord’s intention to raise rent was within his rights.

“She was blessed with low rent for 11 years. Now, the house sold for more and the rent needs to be adjusted to reflect that,” one person claimed, while another said: “Wow… I can’t believe some people. I don’t think you’re being unreasonable. Everything is going up, what does she expect?”

There were also many viewers who suggested Bolufe had staged the conversation between himself and the woman he claimed to be a tenant. “I really hope this is a skit,” one person wrote.

“This can’t be real,” someone else said.

As of now, Bolufe has not clarified whether the conversation was real or a skit, however, he took to the comments under the most recent video to ask his followers what a “fair rent price” would be.

The Independent has contacted Bolufe for comment.