The issue of landlords and tenant rights has come under heightened scrutiny over the last few years, as renters increasingly bring attention to the unhinged antics of property owners.
It’s not a problem across the board, thankfully, but an uneven number of renters face constant strife from their landlords, on top of ever-rising rent prices, sometimes sketchy contracts, and the “landlord special” we’re all so familiar with. TikTok user @michaelbartolini1 has been dealing with just such a problematic landlord for quite some time now, but his patience hit a wall in a recent interaction.
A perusal of @michaelbartolini1’s TikTok page will reveal that all of his content — which totals out to eight videos spread over just a few weeks — centers around his landlord. An older woman who he appears to share a home with, @michaelbartolini1’s landlord appears to give him near-constant grief, haranguing him about everything from requesting a key to supposedly stealing her purse.
It’s the latter accusation that shot the TikToker to virality, after he captured a video containing just over a minute of infuriating blame-slinging by the proprietor. That video has been viewed more than 4.5 million times over the last few weeks, collecting likes and comments from outraged viewers intent on seeing @michaelbartolini1 free himself from this toxic renting situation.
@michaelbartolini1’s landlord wastes no time, in the video, before hurling a serious accusation at her tenant. She launches right into it, claiming that “this is the third time that something of mine is missing,” before explaining that “I know that I had my purse up here,” and demanding to know where it went. She even goes on to say that “somebody took it in this house,” very clearly indicating who she thinks the guilty party is.
She tries to skirt around the accusation by asking if one of the kids took it, but this is quickly exposed as a redirection. She never thought it was one of the kids, she thought it was @michaelbartolini1, but she refuses to just out and say it.
After watching her skirt around the allegation for a moment, the TikToker explains, in no uncertain terms, that he is not the one losing her property. He seems entirely convinced that she’ll find that purse on her own, and was soon proven correct. As it turns out, her purse was hanging on a doorknob the entire time, left there by the landlord herself.
The real kicker comes in the comments, where it becomes clear that the landlord isn’t some stranger — she’s @michaelbartolini1’s mother-in-law. He moved in with her, along with his two sons and presumably his partner, while they got their money situation sorted. A tetchy relationship with your landlord is one thing, but those confrontations with a member of the family is a whole new ordeal. You don’t get to leave your mother-in-law behind when you move.
Unfortunately for both @michaelbartolini1 and his mother-in-law, their interactions aren’t getting any better. Other videos on the TikToker’s page show them arguing over the shared space, discussing eviction, and overall going for one another’s throats seemingly every time they share air. It’s a toxic situation to be sure, but — as several commenters pointed out — at least it makes for some stellar content.