In a viral video circulating TikTok, a landlord who dubs himself the “eviction king” on the app films the aftermath of an apartment after evicting a single mom. From the video, you can see things she left behind, saying she “trashed the place.” As the video continues, with sad music playing in the background, he says that he “feels bad for the kids.” As the video caught the attention of viewers, many believed that he did not feel as bad as he claimed, noting that “you evicted a woman with kids. she didn’t have money to move it. there aren’t holes in the wall. nothing trashed about that.” Others agreed, writing “Not the sad music as something happened to you.”
https://www.tiktok.com/@realestatemogulstephen28/video/7095010771574328618?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7043861003306944005
Right now, many are facing what is known as a housing crisis. According to the Washington Post, “ in the past year, the price for a typical home is up almost 20 percent.” So, as people cannot afford to set aside money for a down payment for a house, many rent instead. But, as housing prices increase, so do rent prices. With increasing inflation along with higher rent, some are unable to pay their monthly expenses and face eviction. This explains why some were unable to sympathize with the landlord’s video. Others, however, felt differently. While some felt terrible for the single mother, one person commented that “Just because they’re a single mother doesn’t mean they get to live rent-free. Being a single mother doesn’t equal free pass to life we all have issues.”
https://www.tiktok.com/@realestatemogulstephen28/video/7063902415766310191?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7043861003306944005
And, although the video shocked some viewers as they believed he was bragging about evicting a single mother, this type of content is not uncommon with not just this creator, but other creators as well. The creator, whose name is Stephen, dedicates his account to evictions and has several videos where he shows what happens after he evicts someone. In one video, he claims he evicted a single mother and then went on vacation, noting that he was “swimming with the dolphins”
https://www.tiktok.com/@realestatemogulstephen28/video/7062351965258534191?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7043861003306944005
So, although landlords on TikTok seem to create and generate mass followings, from fellow landlords or others who might hope to be a landlord, not everyone enjoys this type of content and overall find it harmful or exploitative.
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