Milito: Wow, nice post. Wt renting accomodation in Lagos, one needs all the advice & tips available.

I can't even imagine getting duped after using almost a year to save for a decent accomodation tht I can raise a family inside

People wicked for this life oh.

torhuke: My Mum Fell victim of this kind of scam somtim in 2003 in ikorodu. We were tenants in TOS benson estate (aka marwa estate) owutu, ikorodu. Our LandLord sold d house to aonther person who den gave my mum quit notice becos he desperately needed the house. According to him (the now 'new Landlord'), something or sombody was going to kill him if he does not move out fast from where he was to where we are (the appartment he jst bought). Since our rent had expired abt dt tym and we could nt renew it, my mum statd lookin for another apartment. My mum wx pregnant wt our last born xo we were desperate to move out b4 her due date of delivery. She paid for a new house (2 bedroom flat) arond benson bustop and she was even given d keys to d apartment. The day we went ther wt buckets and mop and brooms to wash the house (wt the sweet mind of moving-in the folowin day or next),the locks had been changed and the keys we were having couldn't open d doors both front nd back. It was like a film. Me, my mum, my yonger sis and bro were jst confused. My kid bro who was abt 5 years den was asking my mum why we were standing outside insteand of going in 2 waash d apartment. We went back home. My mum was jst confused but she styl had a feeln she got the wrong keys becos she and d agent came to d house and he opend d doors wt d keys and dat wx wen she assesd d palce b4 paying d rent for 2-years. The following day, she went to the agents office and there she met 3-men who had also been scamed wt the same apartment. The agent had collected rent frm about four tenants on d same apartment. My mum was the lastt person dat paid from them all. The soldier was d one who changed the keys wen he and 2 others were draging abt who the real tenant is. In all of these, the agents Phantom ofice wx locked and the agent wx no where to be found. To cut the long story short, that was haw my mum was duped of #175,000 back in 2003. That was wht made us relocate to ondo state till 2day.

torhuke: My Mum Fell victim of this kind of scam somtim in 2003 in ikorodu. We were tenants in TOS benson estate (aka marwa estate) owutu, ikorodu. Our LandLord sold d house to aonther person who den gave my mum quit notice becos he desperately needed the house. According to him (the now 'new Landlord'), something or sombody was going to kill him if he does not move out fast from where he was to where we are (the appartment he jst bought). Since our rent had expired abt dt tym and we could nt renew it, my mum statd lookin for another apartment. My mum wx pregnant wt our last born xo we were desperate to move out b4 her due date of delivery. She paid for a new house (2 bedroom flat) arond benson bustop and she was even given d keys to d apartment. The day we went ther wt buckets and mop and brooms to wash the house (wt the sweet mind of moving-in the folowin day or next),the locks had been changed and the keys we were having couldn't open d doors both front nd back. It was like a film. Me, my mum, my yonger sis and bro were jst confused. My kid bro who was abt 5 years den was asking my mum why we were standing outside insteand of going in 2 waash d apartment. We went back home. My mum was jst confused but she styl had a feeln she got the wrong keys becos she and d agent came to d house and he opend d doors wt d keys and dat wx wen she assesd d palce b4 paying d rent for 2-years. The following day, she went to the agents office and there she met 3-men who had also been scamed wt the same apartment. The agent had collected rent frm about four tenants on d same apartment. My mum was the lastt person dat paid from them all. The soldier was d one who changed the keys wen he and 2 others were draging abt who the real tenant is. In all of these, the agents Phantom ofice wx locked and the agent wx no where to be found. To cut the long story short, that was haw my mum was duped of #175,000 back in 2003. That was wht made us relocate to ondo state till 2day.

alfredo4u: r they a learner?

basadenet: Very good information but i beg to disagree with your paragraph 1 & 5 respectively. it is not compulsory you get a lawyer involved, because that is not an assurance that all will be well, we have seen cases where lawyers too are culpable. so getting a lawyer should be an optional thing but not compulsory. 2.you advise that a prospective tenant should not pay in full for an uncompleted building, i also disagree because it is this same money in question that will be use for the completion of the building, so if half or part is paid, the building might not be completed as planned. All the same thanks for the info.

DICKtator: or better yet, plan towards owing your house. You can achieve this in lieu of NHF and Primary Mortgage Institutions. Get that loan!!

conn-kg:
@Lawyer: Why does the government advertise this GIS-satellite mapping thing for renewal each year? Isn't a copy to be deposited at the Local Govt Hqrtrs for determination of C of Os?

I don't speak Yoruba. I try to make use of church connections in representing me and bargaining for accommodation. I can see I now need a lawyer, a policeman and probably a soldier. Is there a one-stop shop for this?

torhuke: My Mum Fell victim of this kind of scam somtim in 2003 in ikorodu. We were tenants in TOS benson estate (aka marwa estate) owutu, ikorodu. Our LandLord sold d house to aonther person who den gave my mum quit notice becos he desperately needed the house. According to him (the now 'new Landlord'), something or sombody was going to kill him if he does not move out fast from where he was to where we are (the appartment he jst bought). Since our rent had expired abt dt tym and we could nt renew it, my mum statd lookin for another apartment. My mum wx pregnant wt our last born xo we were desperate to move out b4 her due date of delivery. She paid for a new house (2 bedroom flat) arond benson bustop and she was even given d keys to d apartment. The day we went ther wt buckets and mop and brooms to wash the house (wt the sweet mind of moving-in the folowin day or next),the locks had been changed and the keys we were having couldn't open d doors both front nd back. It was like a film. Me, my mum, my yonger sis and bro were jst confused. My kid bro who was abt 5 years den was asking my mum why we were standing outside insteand of going in 2 waash d apartment. We went back home. My mum was jst confused but she styl had a feeln she got the wrong keys becos she and d agent came to d house and he opend d doors wt d keys and dat wx wen she assesd d palce b4 paying d rent for 2-years. The following day, she went to the agents office and there she met 3-men who had also been scamed wt the same apartment. The agent had collected rent frm about four tenants on d same apartment. My mum was the lastt person dat paid from them all. The soldier was d one who changed the keys wen he and 2 others were draging abt who the real tenant is. In all of these, the agents Phantom ofice wx locked and the agent wx no where to be found. To cut the long story short, that was haw my mum was duped of #175,000 back in 2003. That was wht made us relocate to ondo state till 2day.

torhuke: My Mum Fell victim of this kind of scam somtim in 2003 in ikorodu. We were tenants in TOS benson estate (aka marwa estate) owutu, ikorodu. Our LandLord sold d house to aonther person who den gave my mum quit notice becos he desperately needed the house. According to him (the now 'new Landlord'), something or sombody was going to kill him if he does not move out fast from where he was to where we are (the appartment he jst bought). Since our rent had expired abt dt tym and we could nt renew it, my mum statd lookin for another apartment. My mum wx pregnant wt our last born xo we were desperate to move out b4 her due date of delivery. She paid for a new house (2 bedroom flat) arond benson bustop and she was even given d keys to d apartment. The day we went ther wt buckets and mop and brooms to wash the house (wt the sweet mind of moving-in the folowin day or next),the locks had been changed and the keys we were having couldn't open d doors both front nd back. It was like a film. Me, my mum, my yonger sis and bro were jst confused. My kid bro who was abt 5 years den was asking my mum why we were standing outside insteand of going in 2 waash d apartment. We went back home. My mum was jst confused but she styl had a feeln she got the wrong keys becos she and d agent came to d house and he opend d doors wt d keys and dat wx wen she assesd d palce b4 paying d rent for 2-years. The following day, she went to the agents office and there she met 3-men who had also been scamed wt the same apartment. The agent had collected rent frm about four tenants on d same apartment. My mum was the lastt person dat paid from them all. The soldier was d one who changed the keys wen he and 2 others were draging abt who the real tenant is. In all of these, the agents Phantom ofice wx locked and the agent wx no where to be found. To cut the long story short, that was haw my mum was duped of #175,000 back in 2003. That was wht made us relocate to ondo state till 2day.

Willdidi: Some ppl could b so heartless, my sista is a victim of dis developers scam, she paid 4 a room self contain on numba 26 Alhaji Bashiru street in ojodu Beger only 2 findout a day b4 she was promised 2 move in dat d apartments of 23 has been completely occupied by othre tenants ova nite, this developer defrauded about 123 ppl, she paid 280,000 naira the total moni dis ppl stole wen calculated was about 80million naira. Till date notin has been done, only 4 one fake lawyer 4rm Alausa 2 start asking dis group of ppl 2 pay d sum of 2,000naira each so dier complains can b registered wit d govt. Don't realy know where dis country is heading. N dis set of ppl hav been doing dis same act n getting away wit it.

lawyer: I read this article this morning via mobile punch newspaper with respect to Property Developers duping people off Millions of Naira based on Rent Accommodation apartments paid for in Lagos and not delivering the apartments to them after they paid and i want to give prospective future tenants some tips and advise on how to avoid this unfortunate scenario in future when they encounter such issues (Please read carefully Line by Line)



Firstly Condolence to those people or Victims who have lost their money to these fraudulent developers. May they not go unpunished for causing misery and pains to so many families because of their greed and selfishness. But this Tenancy Scam has brought about some issues i wish to address to help people avoid such pitfalls next time it occurs. It is becoming very very rampant especially in Big cities in Nigeria where there is a mad rush for the limited apartments for rent and we all have to help ourselves to do something to prevent such sad occurence in future.

1. Before you rent an apartment your not too sure about, contact a lawyer to investigate the developers or Agent. He is in a better position to ask for certain tenancy agreements, leases, contracts or deeds of ownership that the Owner of Agent representative is asking for. He can spot out certain irregularities involved to assist you so as not to fall victim to these scumbags. Always ask questions when your not too sure about something. There is nothing like a stupid question when your money is involved. Its better to ask a dumb question and get answers reluctantly than keep silent and presume all is well.

2.If your going it Alone without a Lawyer, make sure you visit the apartment personally. Inspect everything from the doors to the cupboards to the walls to see whether there are inherent defects in the building. Once you have done that, demand that you intend to pay for the apartment ONLY if you can see the Landlord or the Management team. If stories begin to crop out that the Landlord cannot be seen because he has travelled or that he stays in another state but you can pay the Agent and he will convey your wishes and money to the Landlord, be very suspicious and wary and walk away.

A landlord or Management team must always be accessible to a prospective tenant so that they can assess themselves who they want to lease the apartment too. No landlord wants to rent his or her apartment to just anyone, so they themselves would love to do background checks. When there is an absence of a proper question and answer session to know more about you, know its a scam if its only your money they are interested in. Once you hear 'PAY QUICK BECAUSE SO MANY PEOPLE ARE INTERESTED IN THE SAME APARTMENT AND ITS A FIRST COME FIRST SERVE THING' Without any special interest in you or your background, know its a sharp scam to get your money out quickly.

3. Dont pay for Uncompleted buildings too when you haven't seen the Owner or more especially Don't pay for an Uncompleted building when you know the apartment won't be completed within a reasonable period of time. An uncompleted building you could pay for should deal with only the interior part such as doors, windows, cupboards or sinks, not flooring, roofing, tiling, complete plumbing and major work that you should know will run into Millions of Naira before its completed. A scamming Landlord or Agent will just collect your money and use it to carry out minor works in the house and when your money is exhausted, they will go and look for other prospective tenants to use their money to complete the house and its the last set of people that paid money for the final completion of the House that will get the keys to the apartment and freeze you out. I should know what am talking about because i have also being a Victim of this particular Scam at KayFarm Estate Ogba and it was perpetrated by one manager at Sterling bank Marina. It took me 2 months to get 3/4 of my money back but at least i can count myself as one of the lucky ones. Please don't fall victim to these people after this.

4. Before you pay any Agent or Management Team make sure you visit the offices and ascertain the address of the Agents to confirm they exist. Also before any Agent or Management team collects your money make sure you ask them for a 'POWER OF ATTORNEY' duly signed and sworn to at a court given to the Agent by the Landlord. That will give you extra security to know your dealing with the right person or people and know who to hold responsible for any malfeasance but make sure you give the Power of Attorney to a Lawyer to help you check out the authenticity of it before you pay. A lot of Agents are running around claiming to represent the Landlord or have a direct link to him. Never pay an Agent without such Power of Attorney from the Landlord to do so on his behalf. Its not the Agent letting the house out but the Landlord and when wahala comes, you have no remedy to back you up.

5. Also before you pay for any Apartment,make sure you stay within the area and ask neighbors around about the apartment you intend to rent. Never Underestimate the power of getting friendly with the artisans living around that property because they have all the good juicy stories about the environment and people involv[b][/b]ed. A simple visit to the vulcanizer or woman selling minerals around in exchange for N100 can provide you with all the information the Agent won't pass across to you willingly. Once you hear frightening or skeptical stories about the Owner or apartment, its your Cue to disappear and run with your money.

6. If your paying for an Uncompleted building, never pay in full. If your so desperate and patient to wait for that uncompleted property you desire make sure you convey to the Owner or Agent that your paying part deposit to safeguard your interest too. If the Landlord is adverse to that and only wants the full payment without giving you any assurance or extra safeguard that the apartment will be yours, then walk away. He is only looking out for himself and your money. Who is looking after your own Interest and Your money?

7. If the house is not a new house, always ask for the tenancy agreements of the previous tenants there and past receipts of the previous tenants to know whether its the same Landlord or Agent that has been in charge of the property from time and not new people posing as owners with the intention of ripping you off. When you hear of more than 1 AGENT claiming to representing the Landlord then know something fishy is going on with that apartment.

8. Finally issuance of a receipt doesn't mean your the owner of that apartment. Make sure when your paying for an apartment, its operation collect receipt and collect the keys to take possession immediately. (No Dulling) Don't collect receipt for an apartment whereby you cant take immediate possession. Your just playing into the hands of these scammers because they will do the same thing for hundreds of people until you realize you are just one of the Victims that they have played a fast one over.

With the above tips and advise, you will be able to avoid falling victim to these Tenancy Scams. Cheers

porka:

Kudos to you sir.

The points are well taken.

There's no limit to background check when entrusting your possession to someone, it goes beyond house rent.

Another lesson is that these guys live among us and may somehow find themselves in leadership positions sooner or later, what they would do then can only be imagined.

Nevertheless, I noticed you repeatedly used YOUR in place of YOU ARE or YOU'RE.

I was wondering if it's a new form of writing or it's just a matter of style.

I think it's wrong, especially when you meant to be taken seriously.

Milito: Wow, nice post. Wt renting accomodation in Lagos, one needs all the advice & tips available.

I can't even imagine getting duped after using almost a year to save for a decent accomodation tht I can raise a family inside

People wicked for this life oh.

DICKtator: or better yet, plan towards owing your house. You can achieve this in lieu of NHF and Primary Mortgage Institutions. Get that loan!!