New York Mom of Five Sparks Outrage After Revealing She Pays $18,000 a Month in Rent for Two Apartments—So She Can Use One for ‘Storage’

An influencer mom of five has sparked furious controversy after revealing she leased a second luxury apartment in Manhattan to the tune of $6,000 a month—simply so her family could use it for “storage.”

TikTok star Kristi, who is originally from Salt Lake City, UT, and is known online as @kristiipartyof6, was met with outrage from followers and viewers when she shared her decision to rent a second property, which sits across the hall from the $12,000-a-month dwelling her family uses as their main residence.

Kristi revealed in a video posted to her account that she and her husband, David, currently live in a three-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment in a high-rise building in lower Manhattan but noted that their blended family was starting to outgrow the abode.

So, after welcoming their fifth child, the couple decided to expand—but rather than search for a bigger home, they opted instead to rent out a second apartment in the same building as their main residence, which they now use as an “expensive storage unit,” as well as a closet and a playroom for their kids.

In a video tour of their newlyrented second property, Kristi, who moved to Manhattan from Utah four years ago, showed her followers around the space, which boasts one bedroom and one bathroom, as well as a full-size kitchen and an in-unit washer and dryer, something that is considered a premium luxury by New York standards.

“We are a blended family, so sometimes there are seven of us, sometimes there are five of us, most of the time there are six of us, so we just needed some extra space,” Kristi explained, noting that she and her husband share three children together, while they each have a child from a past relationship.

Continuing her tour, she said: “We now have two washers and two dryers, which makes laundry very convenient,” adding that the living space in their new apartment will be used as an area “for toys.”

As for the bedroom, she says they have added a bed for visitors to use, but admitted that they mostly use the space as a closet to store her and her husband’s clothing.

“We cleared out our closet in our main apartment to make way for our little baby girl and her crib and her dresser, so all of mine and David’s clothes are over here in this apartment,” she continued. “We also store strollers, scooters, all the things. David said it is a very expensive storage unit, but it’s worked out amazing and we’re so glad we have it.”

Kristi’s video was quickly flooded with comments from stunned viewers, many of whom questioned why she and her husband didn’t simply upgrade to a larger property—or consider investing in a house for which the mortgage would like be much lower.

“Why not buy a house or apartment at that point?” one wrote, as another agreed: “Why not buy a townhouse for $3 million and pay the $20,000 per month mortgage rather than rent? At least you’re investing in something!”

“So I’m just curious for 18,000 a month why wouldn’t you just get a much larger apartment and not have to have two separate apartments?” a third questioned.

Speaking to People, Kristi addressed the backlash to her video, explaining that she understands the ability to rent a second apartment is a luxury that many could not afford but insisted the set-up is ideal for her family and their needs.

“I think people that live in New York get it,” Kristi said.”It’s the people that live outside of New York who I got so many comments from like, ‘Oh, what you pay in one month is what I pay in an entire year, and I own my home’ or ‘That’s my mortgage.’

“I understand that it’s a huge luxury. We definitely could make it work in one apartment and we would be totally fine, but this is a luxury and we are extremely fortunate to have this second apartment, and that’s not lost on me. I fully understand that.”

Addressing those commenters who urged her and her husband to relocate their family to a more spacious house outside of the city, Kristi said that the family does not want to move away from the “community” that they have come to know and love, adding that they do actually own a home in Utah, which they built in 2017.

They now use that property, which sits on a half-acre, during the summer when they want to escape the New York City humidity.

Should the family choose to buy a home in New York, they would likely have plenty of options if they are willing to continue paying $18,000 a month—albeit on a mortgage, rather than rent.

The average median listing price for a property in Manhattan as of October 2024 was $1.5 million per Realtor.com®; however, mortgage payments on a 30-year fixed loan with a 20% downpayment on a home of that price is $9,772 per month—almost half of what Kristi is currently paying in rent.