The Rent On Her Studio Apartment In Boston Went Up To Over $3,400 Per Month, And This “Ridiculous” Increase Has Sent Her Into A Serious Spiral
People who have been living in big cities for a few years know how painful it is to find the apartment of your dreams or one you really like and then get a lease renewal letter every year that states your rent will go up a ridiculous amount.
It’s a rough feeling, as there aren’t as many rent-stabilized apartments in major cities as we’d hope there’d be, and you may have to leave your ideal place because it gets too expensive.
One young woman recently went viral on TikTok after sharing that she didn’t know what to do when the rent on her studio apartment went up to a ridiculous amount.
Kaitlin Murray (@kaitmurray_) is a lifestyle content creator and a young woman trying to figure out her next steps regarding her career and future.
Kaitlin’s been living in a 450-square-foot studio apartment in Boston, Massachusetts. In her viral video, Kaitlin acknowledges that she lives in a super nice neighborhood and a luxury building, so her rent was always quite high for a small studio apartment.
However, she made it her own and took a lot of pride in decorating it and making the space comfortable and functional.
However, when she got her most recent lease renewal letter from her building’s leasing office, she realized she couldn’t stay.
“My leasing office chose violence,” says Kaitlin in her video.
“I moved in in 2021, and it was $2,600 [a month]. [It’s] ridiculous to pay that amount of money for this tiny little studio apartment.”
mandritoiu – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only
In the following years, Kaitlin’s rent continued to go up, but she toughed it out because she made a lot of friends in the building and loved her space and location so much. She did struggle to make a living and live comfortably, but she wanted to stay where she was.
When Kaitlin’s rent went up to $3,100, she felt silly for staying, but again, she wanted to stay put so she could be near the people and places she loved.
Then, in February, Kaitlin found out her rent went up again, and the price sent her into a spiral.
“They just brought me my new lease [and] they want $3,444 a month for my 450 Square foot studio,” reveals Kaitlin.
“I did a quick little girl math on this one, which means that I would basically be paying to stay in a $120-a-night hotel every single night for the next year. This is insane. I just got done crying to my parents all week about how lost I am. I don’t know what to do with my life. I know exactly what I want in life, but I’m having a really hard time figuring out how to get there. I don’t know if I need to stay in Boston [or] move. I just can’t do it anymore.”
Kaitlin’s “ridiculous” rent increase had her questioning everything about her future. After all, change is scary, and Kaitlin felt lost, as she didn’t want to move to a different neighborhood in Boston but wasn’t sure if she was prepared to try living in a different city.
Then, Kaitlin goes on to say that the rent increase put her in a weird position in her life where she was faced with the decision of where she wanted her next chapter to begin.
Thankfully, Kaitlin received a lot of support in the comments on her TikTok video from people who backed her up and encouraged her not to be afraid of change.
“I think the rent increase is a blessing in disguise,” commented one TikTok user.
“The universe is telling you to do something since you are in a weird spot in your life!”
“None of those decisions are permanent,” commented another TikTok user.
“Have the next year be a ‘test era’ [with a] new apartment, new city, [and] new job.”
Kaitlin made a follow-up video explaining that she would evaluate her choices and play things by ear until her lease renewal form was due. She plans to make the most of the time she has left in her studio before entering a new chapter.
We’re wishing you the best of luck on your journey, Kaitlin!
If you’ve lived in a big city, have rent increases ever pushed you out of your favorite apartment?
@kaitmurray_ Is anyone else’s rent increasing astronomically? Also 28 is the most confusing age ever #boston #seaport #20s #chicago #cinci #decisions #budgeting #needadvice #newyork #jobsearch
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