How tenants cope with rents, landlords as economy struggles

For tenants in Nigeria, it is a daily tale of woes in the hands of their landlords, especially for those landlords whose rented houses are their only sources of livelihood. All these are to be expected, though, in a country where about 80 percent of the population live in rented accommodation on account of high level poverty, high house prices and challenging economy.

Nigeria’s status as global poverty headquarters is no news, but the country really faces daunting task to lift about 93 million persons out of extreme poverty, as income per capita has been falling in the last four years.

The growth in the broader economy has been lagging population growth for over three years. The same trend persisted in the first quarter of the current year when 2 percent rise in growth failed to keep pace with 2.7 percent rise in the number of Nigerians, an indication that things are yet to get better and Nigerians are getting poorer. It means too that Nigeria is producing less than it is growing.

But the average Nigerian, the low-income earners, the common man on the street, are the ones feeling the pains of a tough economy even as they struggle to meet the basic necessities of life.

With their disposable income stifled, the poor struggle to cater for their families, pay their children’s school fees, pay rent and other bills, and most times face intense pressure from their landlords and landladies.

BusinessDay’s survey on the plight of tenants resident in the mainland part of Lagos revealed that their woes range from unjustifiable rent increases, outrageous service charge particularly on power supply, disturbance from landlords as a number of them snub existing tenancy law.

Muyiwa Adebowale, a teacher in a Lagos private school, told Business Day correspondent that he and his family rented a new apartment in the Ifako-Ijaye area of the state, but his three year-stay was a tug of war with his landlord.

“I secured a 2-bedroom flat in Ifako-Ijaye in early 2015 so that I can spend less on transport fare as the house is close to my place of work. The landlord collected a year rent along with agreement and commission”.

“My experience there was not rosy. He (the landlord) made us (the tenants) pay for almost every damage/renovation of the house,” he revealed.

“One thing that got me irritated was the landlord’s habit of reminding me that my rent would soon be due as if I didn’t know my responsibility. At the third year in 2018, he increased my rent by 30 percent. I couldn’t cope because my salary could not cope. I eventually left the place,” he said.

Another tenant resident in Orile-Agege, Tunji Sulaimon, faces similar challenge. Sulaimon noted that landlords seemed not to be considerate about their tenants’ challenges, saying they were after their own interests.

“I work in a small private firm as an accounts officer. My take-home pay is not taking me home. To provide for my wife and three kids, and pay house rent is no joke.”