" They just make for me my new lease … they require $ 3,444 a month . For my 450 sq . ft . studio . "
This military post is part of a series to be more transparent with housing price and pay in America . If you ’d wish to make the subject of money and caparison a fiddling less proscribed , considerfilling out this formto be featured .
Housing costs, rent costs, salaries, and pay — we all have one or the other, but rarely do we share them amongst one another. Yet in an ever-inflating housing market, rental market, andeverythingmarket (are your grocery bills also out of control?!), we could all use a little more transparency.
So, let’s start slowly. We’re starting a housing and money transparency series where we showcase people’s homes, how much they pay for said home, how much they make, and any other interesting details (like their neat rock collection, the most precious thing in their home, the most expensive thing in their home, and, most importantly — their stories).
This week, we’re featuring Kaitlin (Kait) Murray, a 28-year-old whorents a studio in Boston. Let’s start with the basics:
Salary?$130k in last full - sentence job with TikTok , including pedestal salary and bonuses . She ’s currently live on an emergency investment company and side job .
Other streams of income?“Truthfully , that [ $ 130k ] was n’t enough to live where I survive and in full love myself , so I set forth dog - sitting multiple times a week / month . Sometimes , I ’d make an extra $ 1,500–$2,000 a month just by doing that ! I also post on TikTok and have produce a few minuscule handicap from thing like my Amazon storefront , but nothing giving . My parents own a company holler Murray Promotions , and I ’ve been able to do a few mercenary projects for them over the last couple of months , on top of a few pocket-sized guest projects . "
" Full transparency , though , I have been survive on my emergency investment trust , for the most part , these retiring couple of calendar month , and I want people to get laid that if you have a period of your life where you have to do that , that ’s okay ! study yourself blessed if you have an emergency fund — shift your linear perspective . "
Ok, got all the background? Now let’s get into the pad — this is what Kait sees when she first walks in through the door. Pretty nice, eh?
Here’s her bathroom, and how she maximized storage space:
Here’s her kitchen area, which she completed with this island to create more counter space:
And here’s the rest of her kitchen, sans island:
Next, her bed-“room,” which is not really a room, and is kinda-sorta part of the kitchen:
And here’s the view from her bed (and another view of the kitchen):
She makes the most of it, though! Her dad helped her mount her TV so she could swing it out and watch it in bed:
After Kait’s kitchen-bedroom area, you enter her living room, complete with this lovely fireside TV, storage table, coffee, and bar:
…and the dining “room”:
…and office:
It’s like a three-room-in-one setup…maybe even four? The couch pulls out to a bed (guest bedroom?):
She also has a very pretty bookshelf and a big selfie mirror spot (which probably helps open the room up!):
Ok, now some fun stuff!
“I really don’t own a ton of expensive things. I’ve never bought anything designer, per se. I believe it’s my bed. I treated myself to it for my 27th birthdayfrom Crate & Barrel, and it is my entire personality. I believe it was $2,000.”
“The thing I’d save in a fire would be my box of letters that my family and friends surprised me with when I decided to buy a one-way ticket and move across the country to Boston. I read them just about every week,” Kait said.
Overall, Kait said, “This space is perfect for one person. Obviously, I wish I had more space sometimes, but we do what we can with it.” She also reminded people that while she could afford to live here with her old job, it wasstilla stretch, and she sacrificed some finances for a nicer place to live and community.
And, if you’re still hung up on how the hell she’s spending over $3,000 for a studio, let’s take it back a bit. When Kait moved from Louisville to Boston, she signed on at $2,650.
When May 2022 rolled around, Kait’s leasing office hit her with an increase to $2,900. Because Kait loved the community she found in the building, she decided to stay, and that’s when she took up dog-sitting to make a little extra money each month.
Then, when May 2023 hit, her leasing office taped another lease renewal to her door… This time? $3,200. Kait said, “‘One more year, soak it up and move on. Pick up more dog-sitting opportunities if you love it this much.’ That’s what I told myself, and I re-signed.”
According to RentHop, theaverage studio costs $3,149in Boston’s Seaport District. Theaverage studio in Boston costs $2,720, so the Seaport is considerably more expensive (but Bostonisstill costly overall). Rents have risen tremendously in the Seaport area in the past three years. There’s been a 49.61% increase in the median rent for studios from 2021 to 2024 (from $2,273 to $3,400).
So , while hearing about a $ 3k+ monthly rent for a studio is WILD , it ’s not uncommon in Boston ’s Seaport , a very expensive area to dwell in a grown metropolis . Kait ’s rent increase have been middling on par with the median in the domain ( which does n’t necessarily excuse the increase — it just speaks to a heavy problem ofrising rents ) .
Inone video , Kait said , " It ’s one of the prissy areas in Boston . I understand that . I live in a high-pitched - rise , yes . It ’s a luxury building , but it does n’t excuse what they ’re postulate for , in my opinion . " Inanother video , Kait add , " There ’s a major , major issue with price gauging . Your rip should not increase by almost $ 1,000 over three years . "
And now? Well, Kait’s leasing office sent her a new rent increase notice — and this time, it’s $3,444.
So, Kait’s moving out. She told BuzzFeed, “I just can’t handle it anymore. Even if I was making well over $200k a year, it just isn’t a smart move to keep spending this much on rent at my age.”
Inanother video, Kait also explained that the leasing office won’t budge on negotiations, and it would be $11,500 to walk away from her lease, which ends in mid-June. “You have to give a 60-day notice, and then you have to pay two months after that 60th day, so it’s basically four months rent.”
She continued, “Also, I turn 29 in September, and I just really don’t want to have a roommate, but the US is in shambles right now, and I see so many people moving back in with parents, moving back in with roommates, and it’s just sad. As much as I love my friends…I don’t want tohaveto do that. But honestly, single people, I feel like we aren’t gonna have a choice in the next couple years.”
As for what’s next, Kait told BuzzFeed, “If I find a good, fulfilling job in Boston before my time is up here, I’ll move in with a roommate that I have lined up. We will be in a building again — we love the community aspect. Our goal is to stay under $4,200–$4,500, then split down the middle. (So $2,100–$2,250/person.)”
She told BuzzFeed, “Part of me feels anxious sharing my story because I know cost-of-living, the job market, the economy, etc. are in shambles. I realize how blessed I am to be able to have lived the life I have had for the last three years.”
She continued, “I guess the message I want to leave is just that it’s okay to feel lost, it’s okay to make mistakes, it’s okay to ask for help if you’ve dug yourself into a hole or if you’re battling any sort of mental health issues. There truly is no such thing as a wrong decision or rejection, only redirection.”
" You do n’t have to have it all see out ; you could try out new thing , explore , move , break off up , screw up your savings , make new friends , take leave your Book of Job , flip calling route … If we knew exactly how thing would play out , life would be extremely slow . You are not alone , and whatever choice you make , just have sex it ’s for a reason ! You got this . "
That’s it from Kait! Round of applause to her for being transparent about salary and rent (loveto see it), opening up about her story overall, and reminding people they are not alone in life’s crossroads. 👏
If you like this series and are on board with more salary, rent, and housing transparency, considerfilling out this formto be featured. Whether you have an average apartment, a designer pad, or anAmazon tiny home, we wanna seerealpeople’s places and hear their stories. So consider sending in — can’t wait to hear from ya!
