My Father's Tenants: Case Study of How to kill your landlord
By Hafees Keshinro

My father is a retiree and above eighty years.

He was a civil servant who meritoriously did the 'thirty five years' in service for his country, and one of the lucky few who does not solely depend on the 'ogbanje' monthly pension. He toiled hard during his service years and with his emolument of almost four decades he built some few flats to cater for his old age. A good father, if you ask me, who refused to disturb or depend on his children, in spite of making sure we all went through higher institutions. He has no ounce of parent entitlement syndrome.

Increasingly, it is becoming impossible for the old man to meet up with his responsibilities. His real estate is bedeviled with recalcitrant tenants who have simply keyed into ‘a not well thought out housing legal system’ that seemingly gives all rights to tenants and leaves the landlord high and dry. The old man has to go to court many times and every time, he stubbornly beliefs in due process, but it is taking toll on him.

How do you explain the frequent scenario of when quitting a non paying tenant turns to a journey of two to three years of visiting the court with endless adjournment and with the tenant not appearing in court and not paying rents. Eventually, they go away with two years rent, and many utility bills, and jeering at you for your silliness in believing in the rule of law. Even the lawyer said ‘ Daddy, why did you go to court!’

Before many will jump into conclusions, especially those who have had very bad experience with shylock land lords, please I crave your indulgence, to please read on first. I am sorry if this irritates you, the seemingly bad land lord you see today, I think, is a process of many agonizing years with bad tenants. This is not to say we have not had some fantastic tenants in my father's house, beautiful souls, with who we still exchange visits and frequent phone calls, till today. They are like family.

And there those who will run away with 'NEPA bills' months and years of rents, and all manners of bills. They would be garrulous, and in most cases tell you there is nothing you can do to them. Of course you cannot throw them out at will, there is a sufferable process for the landlord to take. He goes to court, spends endless months, and finally the judgment is additional months for the tenant to prepare to leave. One year is not enough for this process, and the tenant stay on a free apartment spree once you serve the letter. Some tenant will move to another rented apartment, lock your door, refuse to show at the endless court date postponement- who is losing?

It must be said that a cross generation of hard working men and women have involved themselves in building for income, helping to reduce the lack of accommodation in Lagos. While it is important to protect tenants, the land lord who is helping the government to shore up the housing space, and a partner for the government must not be forgotten. The case between a landlord and a tenant should be wrapped up within a month. It is noteworthy that huge percentage of the land Lords in Lagos are over the 65 years old age mark. These senior citizens are greatly affected and their income greatly threatened, and coupled with no constant payment of pensions, the State Government will be sending them to early graves

It is easy to identify that these laws were hurriedly made solely to curb the bad landlords from throwing out tenants at will, done at the height of the screaming of notorious Lagos landlord that increases rent arbitrarily, and maltreat the tenants more than a decade ago. I must be frank, the makers of the law played to the gallery, and forgot to protect the land lords. They simply wanted to be seen as protecting the ‘poor citizens’. A robust law must take care of both parties. It is time to look at this process once again. The government needs to rethink the present process which allows the tenant becomes the boss immediately he gets into the house.

We are a peaceful family, with respect for rule of law, and I must confirm that most time one feels foolish and helpless watching people trample on your rights because the law gives legitimacy to it. A lot of the tenants most times will not venture into such behaviors when they know the landlord’s children or the landlord himself are either members of the NURTW, political thugs or even politicians, because they can be evicted with force and nothing will happen afterwards. For law abiding citizens, it is a punishment for doing the right things

Being law abiding has only increased my father woes.

I wonder why landlords don't just throw these tenants out and let them sue instead, but I guess its a case of who respects, or fears, the law most.

I rent to Mountain of Fire. When they don't pay I sit on their altar on Saturday and tell them I'll sit there on Sunday. Quick time the holy ghost provides them money and they pay!