This article “My landlord deceived me” will open your eyes to the possibility of falling into the hands of terrible landlords and how to avoid similar problems. It’s a true life story, let me know what you think about the whole experience after reading it.
Kunle was thrilled when he found a decent apartment in a busy part of Oshodi, in Lagos State, Nigeria, after several months of searching for a place to live in, it seemed like a big deal getting an apartment after much search. The landlord of the apartment he found Mr John appeared to be very friendly, he was quick at reassuring Kunle that all was well with the apartment, he assured Kunle that the property was in a good tenantable condition, he confidently said these things to make Kunle pay two years rent in advance without asking much questions.
For the very first few months things were not as fine as Kunle had anticipated as the apartment had some leakage issues which after calling the landlord’s attention didn’t get the desired response. The landlord failed to respond to the minor issues Kunle had complained about. The major problems began to surface after several months when the water pump stopped running, followed by serious leakages on the roof. Kunle made efforts to repair those leakages himself but the leakages persisted. He texted the landlord, wrote letters and called, but no response came. So, he assumed the landlord was quite busy since he wasn’t taking his call. After a week, one part of the roof was blown away by a heavy wind during one of the downpours that happened in early July 2024, Kunle still managed, hoping that the landlord would respond quickly to repair the roof, he was hopeful.
One early morning, Kunle woke up to find an eviction notice stuck on his door, he was very confused then he later discovered that the building he just rented had been sold to another person, Chief Desmond. The new owner of the property seemed not to be aware that anybody was living in the house, the worst part of it is that Kunle already paid two years’ rent for the apartment in advance.
When Mr Kunle read the notice, he was very furious and desperate, he resolved to report the fraud to the police. After reporting to the police there were no traces of the landlord as he had disappeared into thin air, one of the landlord’s friends told Kunle that the landlord already travelled out of Nigeria to Canada. Kunle collapsed and wept bitterly; he became more confused about the next step to take on this matter.
Lessons to learn from this story?
Before making any rental payment, it’s crucial to thoroughly check the rightful ownership of the property and stay alert for any suspicious activities during the rental process.
Make sure to obtain a formal Tenancy Agreement that clearly outlines the current state of the rental property before moving forward with the transaction. If the landlord does not provide an agreement, do not accept the keys until the agreement has been properly presented and signed.
Inquire with neighbours or residents in the area to verify that you are not dealing with a fraudulent situation. Refrain from making cash payments; instead, ensure that your payment is processed through a bank to facilitate easy tracking and tracing of funds in case any issues arise. Sometimes, the receiving bank account may be frozen while investigations are ongoing.
Feel free to contact me today if you require further assistance with related matters.