04/20/2025
MY LANDLORD RAISED MY RENT BECAUSE I GOT A PROMOTION—BIG MISTAKE MESSING WITH A SINGLE WORKING MOM OF THREE I'm a single mom of three—4, 7, and 11—and work full-time in logistics. We live in a modest two-bedroom rental. My kids share a room; I sleep on a pull-out couch. Not ideal, but it's safe and close to school and work. Our landlord, Frank, thinks owning property makes him a genius. Ignores texts, delays repairs, and once said, "You should be grateful you've got a place at all with all those kids." Still, I stayed. The rent kept creeping up, but it was manageable—until my promotion. After eight years of showing up early and never using sick days, I became operations manager. The raise wasn't huge, but it meant I could finally say yes to little things for kids—field trips, cereal that isn't store brand, shoes that fit. I posted a small LinkedIn update: "Proud to say I've been promoted to Operations Manager. Hard work pays off." Two days later, I got this email: "Rental Adjustment Notice." Frank was raising my rent by $500. No improvements. No reason. Just: "Saw your little promotion post—congrats! Figured now's the perfect time to squeeze a bit more out of you." I called him. "Why now?" His response: "You wanted a career and a bunch of kids—that comes with bills. You're not broke anymore, so don't expect charity. This is business, not a daycare." Now, I could've gone to housing services. I could've called a lawyer. But I had a better idea. One that would cost me nothing… and teach Frank everything. I knew two things about Frank: 1. He was lazy. ⬇️ Full story in 1st comment 👇👇
