Earlier this month, a user on TikTok went viral after claiming to have found an innovative solution to his housing problem: living in a storage unit. His post backfired, leading one lawyer on the platform to issue a warning to others looking into affordable housing tricks.
TikTok user @fullestness is a video creator who documents his experiences being unhoused while working. Previously, he had sparked discussion after showing how he saves food from his job that he was told to throw away.
In January, he posted a video saying that he and his girlfriend were living in a storage unit. This is not particularly uncommon; while data about this is hard to come by, incidents have been reported in the past, and other internet users have documented their attempts to live in storage units.
That said, there are several problems with storage unit living. First, it can be unsafe, as these units are not designed for human habitation. This means they can lack important features like heating and ventilation. Second, it likely goes against the storage unit complex’s terms of use.
Finally, it is straightforwardly illegal—which may be the reason why @fullestness was eventually kicked out of his storage unit.
Seeing this, TikTok user and lawyer Alicia Luncheon (@theluncheonlawyer) issued a warning to viewers: if you’re going to do something illegal, don’t post about it on social media.
“When I say, don’t record yourself doing a crime, edit the video, put commentary, and post it online, y’all just be ignoring me,” she jokes.
Luncheon then goes on the recount @fullestness’ story, noting that his plan was illegal while appreciating the setup he made for himself in the storage unit. She then notes that he was kicked out of the storage unit—a result that did not surprise her given that he had recorded his crime and posted it to the internet.
“I just want us all to take this lesson, take heed. Stop recording yourself doing sh*t you ain’t supposed to be doing and posting it online,” she declares. “That’s it, that’s all.”
@theluncheonlawyer yall stay safe out here #storageunit #law #court ♬ original sound – Theluncheonlawyer
In the comments section, users agreed with her assessment.
“Document it and post once you have moved on to something better,” said a user. “Posting in the moment is crazy work.”
“My mom always told me that if you get away something big, you don’t tell anybody and you don’t do it again,” added another. “It’s worked for me so far.”
“People get online and start oversharing, I learned that can be real detrimental to your life in so many ways,” shared a third. “It’s ok to keep things to yourself!!”
The Daily Dot reached out to @fullestness and Luncheon via email.
