My time in the tiny house in downtown Dallas, TX has come to an end. Immediately after the video tour was published on Tiny Home Tours Channel in October 2025, the property owner raised the rent by $100, with no improvements or repairs to the unit. My video was seen as free marketing for the owner and my tenant improvements were free labor for richer clientele. I offered several professional suggestions to stay in place and benefit us all. I wrote a nice letter requesting my rent stay at $1300. Nothing worked. Being between teaching jobs meant my finances were strained and the higher rent could not be met or justified.
In addition, the dive bar across the street had dominion over the property. The bar used red string lights to designate their parking which included 3 of the 5 spots within the apartment community where the tiny house sits. The lights had splitting wires and were laid across the lot and into puddles before reaching their final destination: plugged behind my gate into the outside laundry socket for which I paid electricity. They were also draped across my side fence alongside the dumpster which meant patrons could park in front of the dumpster. This blocked the path of the dump truck and trash could be piled up for weeks. Releasing my unit from this dysfunctional, unspoken agreement led to retaliation by my neighbors…some of whom work for the bar and/or the property owner. The owner’s staff was insanely unprofessional in their work and aggressive in their communication. I felt surrounded by incompetence and danger.
In a short amount of time, the harassment from neighbors intensified to a dangerous degree along with stalkers from public transportation. Neighbors would pile bulk furniture on the side patio of the tiny and activity around the dumpster was disgusting including raw, unbagged trash being tossed with the side flaps to the dumpster forever open. Litter covered my tiny house courtyard. At one point, my neighbors put 4 rugs and slippers smeared with feces, along with a feminine product, rolled up right alongside my tiny house on the side patio. Dumpster diving and tagging encroaching closer to me was frightening. I had to call the police more than three times on my neighbors and the alleged losers were confronted by cops at the dive bar across the street. I had to call the police at least a dozen times while using public transportation nearby.
I live the tiny house itself and all it offered. I have been through an extreme amount of stress for many years, so this was supposed to be a time of decompression. I fought as long as I could, but in the end moving onward was the better option.
Have a Pleasant Day!
-Rae