Lawless Landlord

The land lord and his agents charged me to Igbosere court. They have been pressurizing me to pay two years rent via letters and emails. I quoted the relevant sections of the Lagos State Tenancy Law for them and refused to pay. They sent several emails asking me to pay or pack out from the three months old residence. Then, they issued me a quit notice citing need to renovate the house just after six months of moving in. I ignored them.

At the expiration of the quit notice, they took me to court in the usual Lagos Shylock Landlord style. They expected me to plead with them not knowing that I had saved all their correspondences. I appeared in court with my documents and lawyer and won the case! The judge angrily chastised them forcing me to break the law and awarded me extra five months to live in the residence without pay.

The law is clear on this matter. New tenant pays one year rent. Sitting tenant pays six months rent. The only exception is when the property is located at Apapa, Ikeja GRA, Victoria Island and Ikoyi. The law requires the tenant to pay an agreed agency fees if he contracts an agent. The landlord pays the legal fees if he contracts a lawyer. Succinctly put, anybody who hires a professional should pay.

There is nothing like the cliche of "10% agency fee, 10% agreement fees" that usually hangs on the neck of a tenant in Lagos state. Anyone who violates these laws is liable to three months imprisonment or N100,000 option of fine or both. So states the 2011 Lagos State Tenancy Law which I have read back to back.

My landlord being a lawyer of over twenty years knew the law and yet insisted on collecting two years rent and legal fees from me. I refused to pay. I was on the right side of the law. I followed my Shylock landlord and his agents to court to ascertain whether this law is enforceable. They escaped going to jail by the whiskers for flagrant disregard for the law. It would have been my immense joy to visit them in jail. Greedy wicked Lagos landlords know the law and yet they are willing to break it. That you built a house in Lagos is not enough reason to harass and intimidate others. I know my rights and will never be intimidated. I also know the law and will never force my own tenant to break it. Thank you!

Uzor Ngoladi