Checkout New S0cking Tactics Lagos’ Landlords Adopt To Get House Rent From Tenants

Punch is reporting that, Akujobi Okoro, a trader in second-hand clothing at the Oshodi area of Lagos, is still in shock. Since being served an unusual ‘portion’ by his 72-year-old landlord, he has yet to fully understand what actually hit him.

One of 12 tenants at a multi-room bungalow situated around Bolade, another part of this popular Lagos suburb, the Nnewi, Anambra State-born businessman had been living in the house for more than six years without any worries. Apart from paying his rent as at and when due, the 37-year-old man never fails to also settle other statutory bills including for cleaning of the premises, water and security of the area at night.

However, in recent times, it has been a different story especially with the harsh economic situation in the country taking its toll on businesses like his. Okoro has struggled to keep up with his obligations to his landlord.

“It has been tough meeting up with payment of house rent at the end of each month as I used to do in the past because of the poor situation of business these days,” he explained, taking deep breathes at intervals to register his frustration. “Most of us in the house are also traders, so the situation also affects everyone. Our landlord has had to endure the situation and accept payment from us whenever we are able to come up with the money,” he said.

Even though not very comfortable with the situation, the retired 72-year-old owner of the house had to accept the situation, learning to cope without the monthly payments that took care of him and his family’s upkeep. But unwilling to endure the ‘inconvenience’ anymore, the old man came up with an unusual trick – a move that has continued to shock all those who fell for it.

“To get the house rent from us by all means, not minding our financial status, the landlord colluded with a son of one of his friends who is a naval officer,” Okoro cuts in. “He pretended to have sold the building to him, claiming that he was too old to remain in Lagos and that he was going back to his village in Oyo State to settle down and start a new life.

“He brought the man to us one Sunday morning to introduce him as the new owner of the building. The man later held a meeting with us alone, telling us that he intends to demolish the house and construct a bigger building on the land immediately. He, however, told us that if we were ready to pay the full rent for an entire year over the next two weeks, he would leave us to continue living in the house because he knows that renting a new accommodation may be too expensive for us at that time. The man sounded so nice and considerate, we had to quickly accept the offer and promise to get the money paid before the expiration of the time at all cost. 

“I had to borrow about N100, 000 from our traders’ union at the market to be able to meet up with the payment. Many of the other tenants had to also go all out to raise the money for the rent and pay to the naval officer. It was almost three weeks after that time that we realised what had actually happened. The landlord had used trick to force us to pay rent of one year. 

“Though, I am not too sad about this because at least nobody would come to ask me for rent for one year, the amount of pressure that trick piled on us almost caused something else. I have never heard of such anywhere in my life. How the old man came about this idea still surprises many of us,” Okoro said, before turning away to attend to some customers in front of his shed.

Shocking as it sounds, this 72-year-old is not the only landlord now embracing all sorts of means to either collect rent from existing tenants or lure prospective ones into occupying vacant apartments in their buildings. He is among a growing number of elderly house-owners across most parts of Lagos today, who are devising various strategies to get their entitlements from occupants of such buildings.

For example, at the Ojota, Alapere and Ikosi areas of Lagos, findings by Saturday PUNCH reveal that apart from reducing the payment period of rents by half in some cases, landlords, who once insisted on yearly payments, are in fact accepting three months’ rates these days just to get money to take care of themselves and family.

A handful of landlords, who spoke with our correspondent in these communities recently, said that the prevailing economic situation in the country had forced them into showing some understanding to their tenants.

According to them, it is better to accept the little they are offered rather than waiting for the bulk sum that may never come if they keep waiting.