A Cuban woman who owns a home in Florida documented on TikTok the deplorable condition in which her property was returned to her after the end of a rental contract, and the video went viral among the Cuban community in the diaspora.
The account @llamolaritza, identified as LaritzaRealtor and dedicated to real estate advice for homeowners, published a tour lasting almost two and a half minutes of the property. The images show damaged walls, unpleasant odors, and accumulated trash.
"I want to make this video so you can see this, look at how I just received a rent payment for my house," says the owner at the beginning of the tour, visibly outraged.
At the end of the video, he included images of the property's original state to contrast with what he found. "I'm going to include it at the end of the video so you can see how I delivered this little apartment new and complete," he warned.
His main message was a direct warning to other owners: "You can't collect rent without a deposit because now everything here, now how do you deal with all of this here in these conditions?"
The video accumulated over 449,000 views, 12,600 likes, and more than 3,300 comments in less than 24 hours, triggering a heated debate between Cuban property owners and tenants in Florida.
Reactions were mixed. Many users supported the owner and shared similar experiences. "They always leave everything destroyed, that's why I sold what I was renting and that's it, I don't want to deal with that anymore, and sometimes the deposit doesn't even cover the cost of the damage," wrote one user.
Others downplayed the damage. "It's not that bad. With 500 you can patch it up, two cans of paint from Home Depot, and 200 to have it cleaned properly, and it'll be ready in a day," commented another.
Several comments agreed on the same lesson: requiring a deposit and periodically inspecting the property. "You also need to check on how they live; don't leave the property uninspected for at least every six months," recommended another follower.
This type of case has become common on TikTok. Cuban homeowners in Florida showing the condition of their homes after the end of rental contracts have featured in several viral videos over the past two years, a phenomenon that highlights the risks of the rental market for those investing in properties as a source of income.
As another follower pointed out in the comments: "That’s why a deposit is requested and a contract is made that they must provide just as you did."
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