A Cuban woman who owns a home in Florida documented on TikTok the deplorable state in which her property was returned to her after the end of a rental contract, and the video went viral among the Cuban diaspora community.
The account @llamolaritza, identified as LaritzaRealtor and dedicated to real estate advice for homeowners, released a nearly two-and-a-half-minute tour of the property. The images show damaged walls, unpleasant odors, and accumulated garbage.
"I want to make this video so you can see this, look how I just received a rent payment for my house," says the owner at the beginning of the tour, visibly upset.
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 new apartment," he warned.
His central message was a direct warning to other landlords: "You can't collect rent without a deposit because now all of this here, now what do you do 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, sparking a heated debate among Cuban homeowners 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 the deposit sometimes isn't even enough to cover the damage," wrote one user.
Others downplayed the damage. "It's not that bad; with 500 you can patch it up, a couple of cans of paint from Home Depot, and 200 to have it cleaned properly, and it'll be ready in a day," remarked another commenter.
Several comments agreed on the same lesson: require a deposit and inspect the property periodically. "It's also important to check on how they're living; the property shouldn't go without inspection for at least every six months," recommended another follower.
This type of case has become common on TikTok. Cubans owners in Florida showing the condition of their homes after the termination of rental contracts have starred in several viral videos over the past two years, a phenomenon that reflects 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 required and a contract is made that they have to provide just as you provided."
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