Donny Skipper, a TikToker, gained notoriety when his videos exposing the poor state of his “luxury” apartment complex, The Lofts at Harmony Mills, went viral. Skipper’s videos showcased the decrepit state of the building, including faulty elevators, doors, and floods, as well as the presence of bats.
Skipper claims he received a notice from the Lincoln Property Company, the company responsible for managing the complex, that they would not renew his lease. The reason given was that Skipper allegedly falsified his video footage. Despite being a reliable tenant for three years and paying $1,879 monthly for his one-bedroom apartment, Donny was being forced to move out in May.
Skipper claimed that about a year ago, a staff turnover led to a deterioration in maintenance. He alleged that despite advertised amenities, including a car detailing station that was a locked plastic locker, being frequently inaccessible or removed entirely, the management company was raising rents.
Skipper further exposed the apartment’s issues, including overflowing trash chutes, packages stacked up in the open outside building doors, and garage doors opening and closing on their own.
Skipper aims to hold large corporate landlords accountable for neglecting the well-being of their tenants while increasing their profits by raising rents. Skipper and his neighbors are pursuing a lawsuit against Lincoln Property alleging rent inflation by YieldStar software used by large corporate landlords.
The management company has denied the allegations and claimed Skipper’s video footage was “edited and inaccurate.” Despite the challenges he faces, Skipper remains dedicated to organizing his neighbors to hold large corporate landlords accountable for taking care of their properties and tenants, not just raising rents and getting profits from software.
