Encomium
More than a year after the Lagos tenancy bill was passed into law, Lagosian still lament non compliance of the law aimed to protect the rights of tenants in the state. Cross section of Lagosians we spoke to still stated that the law has not been effective, blaming the development to lack of monitoring of the compliance by the government.
OLATUNDE AKINDELE
No, it is not working, most landlords do not comply with it at all. I think they need to put stringent penalty on culprit.
MAYOWA AGUNBIADE
When it was introduced, I knew it wouldn’t work because a lot of landlords will not comply. My landlord started disturbing me for house rent when the last one was not yet due. Landlords are not complying. The government should revisit the law and start punishing offenders.
JOSHUA OLADOKUN
It is not effective. We still have people calling themselves estate agents extorting money from people who seek accommodation in Lagos. I can tell you some people still pay two years or more for house rent.
Adequate monitoring should be in place, the same way government monitors compliance with environmental sanitation every Thursday and the last Saturday of every month and the monitoring of compliance with traffic laws. They should take it serious.
OLADIMEJI BANKOLE
It is not at all. Some people don’t even know it exists at all because Lagos tenants still pay rent through their noses, most of them don’t know there is a law that protects their rights. More orientation to the people about their rights when it comes to tenancy in Lagos.
CHIDI OKAFOR
I don’t think it is as effective as we would want it to be. Landlords hardly comply with the law, neither do most tenants bother about it. The government should ensure strict compliance by bringing offenders to book as a deterrent to others.
EUGENE JAMES
I would say Fashola’s tenancy law is working to an extent. Some aspects of the law are being adhered to and something is better than nothing. I don’t know how the government can ensure maximum compliance but it is important that they should enforce that law to reduce the rate at which landlords exploit tenants in Lagos.
FUNMI KUYORO
Yes, it is working. The government should ensure maximum compliance by penalizing those who violate the law.
LANRE JOSEPH
Yes, Fashola’s tenancy bill is working. The government should ensure maximum compliance by monitoring the law implementation.
SAMSON GBADAMOSI
Yes. In fact, I am very happy that he made that law because landlords and agents in Nigeria can make life very difficult when the issue of house is concerned. Serious punishment should be given to law breakers.
ADEBIMPE AJAYI
Yes, because landlords in my area do not collect more than one year rent. Punishment should be given to those who do not comply.
MARY EKARIKA
The Lagos tenancy law is not working. Landlords still charge rent as they like without regulation. You hardly see a house for one year in Lagos. Government should set up a committee to monitor and regulate rents in the state.
BONIFACE ERUGO
It is not working at all. Lagos residents should learn to challenge stubborn tenants in court. On the part of government, relevant agencies and the State House of Assembly must see that the law is obeyed.
GBENGA DADA
There is no law! That’s the truth. Every day, you see people in search of accommodation, and the landlords insist on two years pay, agreement and commission. No pay, no house! When you tell them about the law, they ask if the house was built by government. Eventually, you have to pay two years.
So, for me, the law is dead, government needs to re-embark on another campaign.
OMOWUNMI ABDUSSALAM
How many people have they convicted? Or are they not aware that the law has been violated already? We paid three years for our house rent at Ijesha, Surulere, Lagos. The same for other tenants paid, and nothing is being done to stop this. Landlords are exploiting tenants every day.
They said government should build houses for us masses, instead of building houses for themselves. The best way to ensure maximum compliance is that the offenders should be punished, they should set-up committee that would make enquiries from people.
IYABODE AZEEZ
The effect of the law is not being fully felt in my area. We still have some landlords who have disregarded the law, they are still collecting more than a year rent with other charges. The only way the government can strengthen the law to ensure maximum compliance is to show enough sign of seriousness by severely dealing with the culprits both among the landlords and the tenants
OLAIDE AKANNI
I don’t think Fashola’s tenancy law is really working. I have not experience anything different from what was happening before the law came into existence. Some landlords have not complied, some still charge even higher than before, and with unnecessary conditions.
I believe until the government takes a tougher step, there can’t be total compliance. Anybody contravening the law should face a stiffer penalty.
