Pay ur rent or risk eviction- This statement may not be uncommon in a never ending romance between tenants and their landlords. While tenants of different parts of Nigeria may get varying treatments from their landlords, the psychological effects from such relationship is far reaching. From tenants being frustrated to an extent of vowing to become their own landlords, to tenants feeling relaxed and at peace because they invariably get a good deal and nice treatment from their current landlords. However your bunch may be, it is no longer a news that owning your own home is the best option to escaping the wrath of a landlord.
In Nigeria today, owning your own home is no small investment as it helps in great measure to make better and more quality investments.
A 2-bedroom flat in Lagos can go for 2-3million naira for a 2year rent in advance in the highbrow areas, while in Abuja it could be as high as 3-5 million naira!
Even at such high prices, landlords still abuse the rights of their tenants in various degrees, a landlord may sell his property without even notifying his tenant, leaving his unsuspecting tenant at the mercy of his new landlord who may evict the tenant at will.
Also, issues of privacy breach, eviction without prior notice (which could be a retaliative measure of the landlord), failure to effect repairs due to normal wear and tear of property installations.
When aggrieved, tenants are advised to seek the services of a lawyer who understands tenancy agreement laws, such a lawyer can come up with various ways to make the landlord pay! see here
In a highly populated city like lagos, with a very high demand on housing and an alarming low supply, tenants are the inevitable victims of many selfish landlords. Since the demands on housing are high, they can afford to treat their tenants like animals, regarding them little or no respect of their person, or position of whichever kind. The lagos tenancy bill proposed by Fashola's administration could be a solution to some of the problems tenants face in the city which is the economic hub of Nigeria. The bill, which would be signed into law
by the state governor, Babatunde Fashola (SAN) any time from now, makes it unlawful for a landlord or his agent to demand or receive rent in excess of six months from a sitting tenant.
With the new bill, it becomes illegal for any landlord to receive more than a year rent from a new tenant otherwise he will pay a fine of N100, 000 or be sentenced to three years imprisonment.
Besides, it will also be unlawful for a tenant to offer to pay more than a year rent even though it gives room for the two parties to sign a tenancy agreement. see here
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