Woman in Tampa opens her lease renewal. Then she sees $11,438 for a two-bedroom and can barely speak: ‘how that number is calculated’

A Tampa renter said she was stunned after opening her lease renewal email and seeing a proposed monthly rate she described as unbelievable. The woman, who posts on TikTok under the name Emlegs (@emlegssssss), said the figures made her “jaw fall to the ground.”

Emlegs said in her video that she lives in a two-bedroom apartment in the Channelside neighborhood of Tampa. She said that if she chose to sign another 12-month lease, her current lease term, her rent would go up by more than $1,000.

The video, which has received 7.7 million views, and more than 659,200 likes, shows her warning viewers to brace themselves before she shared the bigger number, which is the rate for a month-to-month lease.

Video shows an alleged rent figure of over $11,000 for month-to-month option

In the video, the woman said, “If I want to go month to month, the rent will be $11,438.” She repeated the number twice more, saying “$11,438” and “$11,438 USD,” while using her hands to emphasize the figure. 

The clip then cuts to what is described as a partially redacted screenshot of an email with the subject line “Not Renewing Our Lease.” A line in the screenshot apparently confirms a “month to month rate of $11,438.00.” An explosive sound effect plays in the video at this point in the reveal.

She said in the video, “I don’t even know how that number is calculated. It’s almost like they pulled it right out of their a–.” 

The video drew a large number of reactions in the comments section, with several viewers questioning whether the figure was accurate or possibly a typing error. One commenter wrote, “Typo? Maybe they meant $1438… That’s crazy.” Another asked, “did they accidentally put an extra 1 at the beginning?” Such steep increases can lead to unusual landlord demands, as one landlord told an entire building to stop taking long showers to keep housing affordable. 

A third commenter questioned the location of the apartment, writing, “Are you renting at the White House?” Some viewers offered theories about why the number may have been so high. One commenter wrote, “Thats a tactic to make you move. someone in the office wants you gone.” Apparently, landlord’s troubles go beyond the lease calculation, as a Denver renter questioned an alleged decibel level recording device on an apartment lease. 

Another commenter, who identified themselves as a property manager, offered advice: “As a property manager, let me say, move out. But wait until the last possible day to tell them you’re going to move out (whatever your lease requires for the notice). Make them lose the most possible in vacancy days. Make them have to pay to advertise that apartment. Make it hurt as much as you can. I hate it when my owners demand rent increases on my good tenants.” 

The identity of the property management company or landlord involved has not been confirmed, and it remains unclear how the $11,438 figure was calculated. According to freeforms, a month-to-month lease in Tampa is a rental agreement that automatically renews each month instead of locking a tenant into a six or 12-month contract. 

This kind of arrangement is said to give renters the flexibility to move out at any time, provided they give 30 days’ written notice to their landlord. Because of this flexibility, month-to-month rent in Tampa is often reported to run 20% to 30% higher than a standard 12-month lease.