Soaring rents and accrued rent in Lagos following the severe economic hardship in the country have set many tenants against their landlords, New Telegraph can reveal.
As a result, many police stations and courts have been inundated with cases of accrued rents between landlords and their tenants. The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) also said lawyers are being inundated with cases involving the two.
In some of the police stations visited by our correspondent, it was learnt that rent disputes between the landlords and tenants were the most reported cases.
A policeman, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said: “I must tell you that the reported cases between the landlords and tenants dispute are the highest complaints we are getting on our registered files recorded daily in all police stations nationwide.
“What I know is that hardships, poverty, unemployment, and low purchasing power, that is, no money at hand are responsible for these cases at our stations all over the country. “Many lawyers come to our station daily to intervene in rent issues.”
A lawyer, Segun Subomi, said disputes over rents have become a time bomb that needs to be carefully addressed at the national level before the matter explodes. He said: “I must confess to you the disputes between landlords and tenants are the most talked about in the NBA because there are voluminous cases lawyers in our courts nationwide.
“I think there must be a way out of this dispute row between the landlords and tenants over rent in Nigeria.” Mrs. Bola Ajiroba, a medical doctor, warned that soaring rents could lead to a mental health crisis among struggling tenants.
New Telegraph’s investigation showed that a single room that previously cost around N40,000 has jumped to N80,000 or even N100,000 in some parts of Lagos State.
Similarly, a one-bedroom apartment, once rented for N120,000, now costs between N350,000 and N450,000, while two- and three-bedroom flats are renting for over N600,000, making them out of reach for civil servants and low-income earners.
Recently, a tenant, Chukwuma Nosika, had a nasty experience engaging his landlady, Ogunfowora Abimbola, in an argument over accrued rent as she allegedly hired thugs to batter him.
Also, Nollywood actress, Yvonne Jegede wrote in her official Instagram handle that her landlord recently increased her house rent beyond what should be normal and as such she can only pay it if she is being threatened by a crocodile, else she will not pay.
