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Recession pains: Landlords groan as tenants owe for months

The present economic situation in the country has also dealt landlords no good hands. Most of them now find it difficult to cope as their tenants can no longer pay their rent as expected, all on the excuse that Nigeria is undergoing recession.

Some landlords ENCOMIUM Weekly spoke to on these also expressed pains, hoping things will be better in due course.

 

ADELEYE WAHAB

We don’t have a choice than to take it easy now unless we just want to complicate the situation for tenants who can’t pay rent any more but refuse to move out. Even, if you threaten them, they won’t even bother because most of them have been drawn to the wall.

The last time I collected rent (N150,000) from my tenants was February this year and that’s six months instead of one year payment. Now, that has expired, the man has not even turned up despite inviting him for a meeting. By November this year, the rent of another tenant will also expire.

Now, he has come to me ahead of the time pleading that he can’t get any money until January 2017. He even said he has no money to pay his children’s school fees. So, landlords are facing hell now. Even, some of us are reducing rent for the new tenants secretly so that the old ones will not be protesting.

 

ALHAJA AYISATU RABIU

Things are generally hard now. Everybody understands that Nigeria’s economic situation is not helping matters at all. Now, I have about five of my tenants owing me. I have a house in Ogba here which I inherited from my father. There are four apartments being occupied by tenants and only one has paid to date. The rest are still owing. Even, one of them has not paid a dime this year. The rest two paid till March and April this year. So, it’s difficult coping as a landlord or landlady now unless you have other means of survival.

And as a matter of fact, it’s not the fault of all these people owing, it’s the country’s situation. One of the tenants has been sacked and he has lived in the house for about five years but he can’t afford rent again. Is it now proper to sent him packing? Where will I sent him to? He has a wife and four children. He promised to pay on September 15, 2016, now the month has ended, nothing. All I got was a call from one of his friends begging till the end of October. I just told my husband, I won’t send him out. I will let him be till he’s able to pay.

After all, I was born with nothing and will be buried with nothing when I die. I thank God for His mercies and blessing on me and my family. I don’t rely on such things but not everybody can reason in that direction. I also have some tenants in my Ishaga, Ogun State house where some are still owing. I have told them not to panic, they should just be paying it installmentally till the country stabilizes. We all understand the situation of things at the moment and we pray things will be alright soon.

 

NDUBUSHI TOBECHUCKWU

My house is four flats. I live in one and rented out the remaining three. And quite unfortunate, the three tenants are owing me now. They all came at the same time in 2014, now their rents have expired. I have served them quit notice when I noticed they’re not serious about it. But two of them came to beg for more time, the other one didn’t. So, I have decided to send that one out finally in December if he can’t cope.

I am not Buhari, I also have my challenges and I don’t have any other means of survival. I sold my only car to start a business when I lost my job, the business also collapsed. So, I don’t have a choice than to bank on what I have. My wife and children must live. I won’t deceive you, if care is not taken, many tenants and landlords will be fighting because of the present economic crisis. It’s not easy coping at all.

 

AKANGA

Things have been tough for my tenants. I called for a meeting, only two out of four attended. I have a tenant that is owing one year rent. He lost his job last year, I couldn’t pressurize him because of the state of things.

 

FASANMI

I don’t give room for debt. I am planning to give quit notice to two of my tenants. They have been owing for the past five months and they are nonchalant about it.

 

DAVIDSON

Tenants have not been corporative. I have a tenant that is owing me five months rents. He keeps complaining any time I see him. What will I do, I can’t send him packing, I will lose out at the end of the day.

 

YAKUBU

I have more than five tenants. It is only one that has been cooperating. In fact, he pays for his rent before due date. But this year, he has not been able to meet up. I do understand because he is a very good man. He doesn’t owe rent.

 

SUNDAY PETER

My tenants are giving me a lot of tough time. They are not paying rent. Many of them are owing over a year rent. The funniest thing is that they have stopped paying electricity bills too. I haven’t gotten a dime in the last 10 months for electricity. In fact, I was forced to disconnect their light.

I can’t give myself headache over their issue, I will just have to inform my lawyer and legal action will be taken.

 

MRS. OPEYEMI OLOYEDE

My tenants are trying their best. The country is not the way it used to be but they are really trying to catch up with their rents. Although some of them are still owing, they have promised to pay up as soon as possible.

 

JAJI AKEEM

They have stopped paying me since last year. I was forced to hire a care-taker who’s helping me with the rents. I have succeeded in sending most of them packing and others are trying their best to meet up with the rent.

 

COMRADE BAMGBOYE YAYA

My tenants are paying their bills. I am not the one in-charge, I have a lawyer who tackles them anytime they want to act strange. They are really cooperating and paying every necessary bill. So, I don’t have issue with anyone of them.

Encomium

Written by Encomium

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