What started as a tense roommate dispute in a Brooklyn apartment has turned into a bizarre online saga involving locked doors, police visits and allegations of surveillance. The dispute has since drawn attention from local news outlets and thousands of online viewers.
Kyle “Bobby” Harvey, 30, has lived in the four-bedroom Bushwick apartment since November 2023. He pays $1,050 toward the $4,200 monthly rent. Stephen Pulido is the primary leaseholder or “overtenant” rather than the building’s landlord.
According to Dexerto, Harvey began recording their confrontations after months of alleged harassment. His first viral episode appeared on June 27. In the footage, Pulido repeatedly tells him “Nothing is yours in this apartment” while demanding that he leave.
The bathroom lockout during a pneumonia illness became a turning point in the feud
Harvey now presents the dispute as “RoomIsland.” The series uses reality TV narration, video game graphics and cliffhangers. He has also published parts of a 45-page incident timeline with references to videos, messages and police body camera footage. The timeline has not been independently verified in full.
According to Harvey, the problems began by April 2025 and intensified during early 2026. In February, he claimed Pulido locked the apartment’s only functioning bathroom and sealed the door with duct tape while he had pneumonia. The second bathroom allegedly had a broken toilet and black mold.
Harvey and roommate Joe Medina told the New York Post that they sometimes used water bottles when they could not access a bathroom. Medina said he continued doing so to avoid another confrontation.
Another allegation involves a camera in the shared living room. Harvey claims it pointed toward his bedroom. A message reviewed by the Post reportedly showed Pulido saying he was recording “everything in the common area.”
Harvey’s timeline also claims Pulido later installed a padlock after a dispute involving $114 worth of toilet paper and paper towels. A separate video shows Pulido telling Harvey he could not use the bathroom.
The conflict escalated again after Harvey and Medina received a June 19 notice ordering them to leave by July 19. New York law generally requires 90 days’ notice for residential tenants who have occupied a property for at least two years. Their subleasing arrangement makes the legal question more complicated.
On July 15, Harvey and Medina livestreamed from the living room couch for around three hours. Harvey admitted they expected Pulido to react. He argued that they were entitled to use furniture in the shared space. Their decision to take the dispute online isn’t unusual; two other New York roommates recently took a sublet dispute to TikTok.
Pulido reportedly demanded they leave what he called “my couch.” He also tried to stop them from opening the refrigerator before calling police.
During the police visit, an officer told Pulido that the living room was a common area. The officer also said someone could not simply be removed without proper court proceedings. In a separate Instagram clip, Pulido denies entering the tenants’ bedrooms before Harvey shows footage he says proves otherwise.
The next day, Harvey claimed Pulido removed the apartment’s air-conditioning controls during a heat wave. Another roommate restored the system in a parody Instagram tutorial titled “How to hotwire an AC panel that your crazy roommate removed.”
When July 19 arrived, Pulido reportedly had not produced a court order. Harvey and Medina remained in the apartment.
In an August 4 Instagram Q&A, Harvey said the videos appeared to have made Pulido quieter. He explained that he uploaded them partly to discourage further confrontations.
Harvey claimed the bathroom padlock was removed. He said Pulido still attempted to restrict access to the refrigerator, sink and other shared amenities.
Two former roommates also described alleged conflicts to the Post. Carlos Brumfield said Pulido once locked him out of his bedroom while he was showering. Brumfield claimed he had to cross a fire escape wearing only a towel. Leo Mark Avery said he eventually left because he felt remaining was unsafe.
The building’s landlord, Justin Rubinstein, was reportedly contacted several times. He declined to intervene because he considered the dispute a roommate matter. Covering rent has also become unexpected social media content, with one streamer recently coming up with an unusual plan to pay his rent.
Pulido declined to address the individual allegations. He cited ongoing legal proceedings and a harassment complaint against his roommates. An NYPD spokesperson confirmed Pulido filed reports over allegedly threatening messages on June 29 and another verbal dispute on July 15.
Harvey and Medina have withheld rent under the advice of a housing lawyer. Harvey says he plans to remain until he receives a legally enforceable eviction notice. He also intends to keep documenting the “RoomIsland” saga if the confrontations continue.
Published: Aug 16, 2026 01:30 pm