Her Rent Is Going Up $700 A Month Because Her Landlord Claims That’s What The Apartment Is Worth
A 30-second video has gone viral with over 1 million views and 208 thousand likes with its creator’s self-invented “rap” titled “It’s What the Apartment’s Worth.”
To be honest, the rhythm is so catchy that it will stick in your head after just one or two plays.
TikTok user Grace James posted under her account @justgracejames showing an email thread from her landlord in New York City.
She was informed that her rent would increase by 700 dollars per month because “prices have gone up very high in NYC,” and they “did a big increase because that’s the worth of the apartment.”
Grace could not seem to agree with her landlord, as she demonstrated other parts of the apartment building with graffiti on the entrance walls, unlocked mailbox, muddy stairs, holes in her apartment floor, and chipped paints.
Unfortunately, Grace’s case is not uncommon. According to Rentec Direct, “Most landlords do not regularly raise their rent to match the cost of owning and maintaining a property,” the site explained.
“What ends up happening is after 5 years at a steady rental rate, the owner will realize that a rent increase is necessary to keep up with increasing property taxes, maintenance, and market rates.”
New York City landlords are allowed to increase rents as much as they like based on the market, as long as the apartment is not rent-stabilized, according to NYC Rent Guidelines Board.
TikTok; pictured above is Grace in her video
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As many commenters relate to her, Grace’s story has enraged the TikTok community.
“They’re acting as it increased against their will,” user5401626445388 wrote.
“Ask them what $8k worth of improvements they’ve done in the past year,” marinaelsa commented after Grace showed her apartment and the building in her video.
Some commenters simply “suggested” Grace could just move to another place. Although they might have said it out of good intention, Grace stated a claim in a follow-up video that comments like these fail to see more significant issues with housing today.
Grace started in the second video with how she feels there is this mentality in the U.S. society that “cash is king, the poor are just shit out of luck.”
“In the luxury industry, I think that makes sense. I would never go to a steakhouse expecting McDonald’s prices,” she continued. “The difference here is that housing is, in my personal opinion, a basic human right.”
She further stated that everyone, regardless of their “financial income and ability to contribute to society through labor,” should deserve a safe and stable home environment.
Grace then went back to her experience, saying that getting priced out of her apartment also removed her from her community.
She would no longer see her friend who lives in the same building supporting Grace as a family and some locations in the neighborhood she had finally built as her safe spaces to visit.
Continuing to raise prices, Grace stated, encourages a cultural phenomenon of not investing in a community because no one can be certain of its future.
The comment section was also majorly supportive of Grace.
“I agree 100%! However, just because some can afford high rents doesn’t mean we get to act like those that can’t afford it. Experiences don’t matter,” Taiiiiiii commented.
“This is so beautifully put- thank you. I’m so sorry this is happening to you, and I hope you’re able to see your neighbor and that jazz bar still,” shae wrote.
“Yea, all of this aside, moving, in general, is extremely expensive. It cost me $9000 to move from AZ to Chicago. ‘MOVE’ isn’t affordable for most,” NEFF said.
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