My landlord is insisting on collecting 1year rent from me after the Tenancy law was passed. My rent was due at the end of August 2011, but on the 28th of August, the man held a meeting with the tenants and distributed a circular wherein contain a paragraph stating that "house rent must be paid fully every year as at when due. Part payment is not accepted". I need an advice on what to do as not to pay 1year rent but 6months rent as stipulated in the Tenancy Law. There are other issues he man raised in the circular which I think contradict what is stated in the law. Please give me advice on how I can enforce what the law. Thanks

I will simply advise you to pay your landlord your rent if you have the whole 1yrs in full! if you don't have the money in full, you can plead with him to accept 6months and the other half later based on the fact that you don't have the money complete not because of one silly/useless tenancy law. Do you know how many people that are ready to move into that same house and willing to pay him 2yrs up front? There are no laws assisting landlords with loan to build, or get their properties document easily yet you want them to abide to some tenancy law! it doesn't work just one way

@poster
the law was passed for a reason, tell your landlord that he should abide by it. if he insists then bring the matter to higher authorities. et voila!

MRbrownJAY:

@poster
the law was passed for a reason, tell your landlord that he should abide by it. if he insists then bring the matter to higher authorities. et voila!

So if the law was not passed he won't pay for 1yr? He should pay his rent for the 1 yr and whenever he decides to move to a different house, he can then negotiate semi annual payment.

The law is the law, we must obey the law! I watched press tv yestaday and saw german protestor parading the streets and complaining that their house rent is too high, same demonstration in russia 2months ago and their government did something, it is only the landlords or landlords children in nairaland that will disagree to the new rule, take it up with him,if he disagrees, take him to court, u would stil be in that house for almost 2yrs without paying him,and the case will be adjourned,then u would hv saved enough money and gotten urself another place that would be better, ould hv saved enough money and gotten urself another place that would be better,

Watching closely, human beings! For one useless law people now want to cut landlords money, we shall see where this rule gets us to, in a year time maybe we shall be holding rallies to protest high rents, just push these landlords hard and see the type of power they wield in this country.

My Advice is to pay ur rent completely, don't look @ tenancy law if u have d money pay ur landlord and give ur self rest of mind. Money is spirit if u don't pay completely u may don't ve do money when you willing to pay d rest.

Honesly I love this movie series, this is only the season 1 of it we are watching, but Nigerian movies are all too predictable, there are no suspense or surprising turn of events to make this movie interesting.
Any laws made without considering the interest of the principal stakeholders (in this case Landlords) will always backfire terribly. Since there are no laws to cut down the cost of building, every law made against the interest of the landlords will lead to a sharp decrease in the supply of rentable houses, this will in turn increase the apetite of renters will inmediately bid rents up so high (where you see any vacancy sef) and the people will be crying in another tone in a year time. This film is shallow, we all know how the season 2 will play out. I think the title of the second season will be 'the revenge of the landlords'

I wonder why many lagosians applauded the 1yr tenancy law

As a Landlord it makes life far easier for me and more profitable to charge 1 yr rent. This is what has begun to happen
1: Landlord gives existing tenants quit notice and jerks up the rent
2: New tenants pay 1 yr rent with an agreement that tenancy also last for 1 yr -in other words the tenant gets a quit notice 6 months to the expiration of his 1 yr tenancy.
3: Tenants quits Landlords property and landlord advertises for new or old tenant who pays full 1 yr price again with 1yr tenancy agreement

This has killed tenants anyway you look at it. the Landlord is happy for this Law

Present the landlord with 6 months rent and tell him that if he refuses, you will personally mail his details to Fashola's e-mail address. That should work! However, consider the fact that the man may simply reject your 6 months payment and ask you to leave his house altogether.

GetNAIJAProperties.com

OP,

Report the landlord to the relevant authorities. By law, he cannot eject you until he has given you a quit notice 6 months in advance.

Either way, the law is on your side. The problem is that many people do not know their rights and even when they do know, they are afraid to exercise it.

You need to shake the landlord and he will fear you from now on.

stagger:

OP,

Report the landlord to the relevant authorities. By law, he cannot eject you until he has given you a quit notice 6 months in advance.

Either way, the law is on your side. The problem is that many people do not know their rights and even when they do know, they are afraid to exercise it.

You need to shake the landlord and he will fear you from now on.

The Law is on the side of the land lord for new tenants, it is a trend that has already begun to get good speed

Pay for 1 yr and landlord gives you quit notice 6months into your 1yr, you are then forced to pay for another yr rather than 6 months, a catch Fashola did not think off

ceejay80s:

The law is the law, we must obey the law! I watched press tv yestaday and saw german protestor parading the streets and complaining that their house rent is too high, same demonstration in russia 2months ago and their government did something, it is only the landlords or landlords children in nairaland that will disagree to the new rule, take it up with him,if he disagrees, take him to court, u would stil be in that house for almost 2yrs without paying him,and the case will be adjourned,then u would hv saved enough money and gotten urself another place that would be better, ould hv saved enough money and gotten urself another place that would be better,

badt guy. No kill me wit laff .These are cons lawyers use

Contact your nearest property lawyer to take the case up. Once its in front of the rent tribunal, you will see the changes to his attitude. Nigerians like to test the law to see if it will be successful but once they are the guniea pigs they wont let it happen to them twice again. FYI do you know it is punishable for you to offer beyond 6months rent? Claiming Ignorance of the law won't help you because you already know the law. Dont let people push you to do otherwise because its only you that will experience the wrath of the law once it catches up with you or your landlord.

Iliveon:

My landlord is insisting on collecting 1year rent from me after the Tenancy law was passed. My rent was due at the end of August 2011, but on the 28th of August, the man held a meeting with the tenants and distributed a circular wherein contain a paragraph stating that "house rent must be paid fully every year as at when due. Part payment is not accepted". I need an advice on what to do as not to pay 1year rent but 6months rent as stipulated in the Tenancy Law. There are other issues he man raised in the circular which I think contradict what is stated in the law. Please give me advice on how I can enforce what the law. Thanks

Your landlord is a good man. A lot of landlords are happy with the 6months thing because you are no longer a yearly tenant and monthly tenants are easier to eject. All he needs to do is keep increasing rent every six months until you get tired and seek Fashola's property to rent (na for where you go see am?). By the way, Fashola is selling a plot of land in Lekki at an "affordable price" of N70million per plot for people like you to buy and build your own house (if you can afford it). Nigerians! ! !Always seeking to take advantage of every situation.

I swear, landlords are ready for all tenants they will use increase in rents to kill them. that law is stupid and myopic.

It will be cool if Lagos residents could test this law with your own case.
For that to happen, pls report your landlord to the app authorities.

ceejay80s:

The law is the law, we must obey the law! I watched press tv yestaday and saw german protestor parading the streets and complaining that their house rent is too high, same demonstration in russia 2months ago and their government did something, it is only the landlords or landlords children in nairaland that will disagree to the new rule, take it up with him,if he disagrees, take him to court, u would stil be in that house for almost 2yrs without paying him,and the case will be adjourned,then u would hv saved enough money and gotten urself another place that would be better, ould hv saved enough money and gotten urself another place that would be better,

I have a question for you, if the landlord in question is your dad, would you wish for anyone to put him through the kind of wickedness you are suggesting here?

Nigerians sha! We are have to be the most selfish human beings on the planet. A government passes a law without thinking it through and some people here are talking about upholding a silly law simply because it benefits them. As you are quick to compare 'abroad' with Nigeria; I'd like you to tell me one law that has been passes which benefits/protects landlords?!

Landlords are still paying premium rates for building materials, do they get any subsidy or help from the goverments for doing what the government is supposed to do i.e. provide affordable housing ?!. Also, many of these landlords are pensioners, widow(ers) who rely on their rental income for their sustenance (since the silly government can't/won't pay their pensions). I am not a landlord, but what I have seen some tenants put their landlords through is nothing short of wicked.

In Nigeria, if you are civil with people, they treat you as if you are mugu. Mtcheww!!!

Law is Law:

You are forbidden from paying over 6 months. Your LandLord is forbidden from Receiving above 6 months:

If any party contravenes, the law takes its course. Both Tenants and Landlords must abide by this law.

I feel you are ready to abide by this law. The landlord as already implicated himself by issuing a circular. All you have to do is present him with a check of the 6 months, if he rejects, photocopy the check and attach to a photocopy of his circular and submit to the nearest police post.

When he asked for rent, remind him of the check he refused and request for quit notice, which actually gives u 6 months free. If he insitutes a case, invoke your report at the station.

This is the law, and the law is on your side, do not be afraid.

Please take the letter to any averagely good lawyer and let us test the law. Again i am sad that folks on this forum are alomost too eager to break the law all in the name of 'moving on' or 'not wanting landlord trouble' or 'if you dont pay the rent now you will spend the money'. I am sorry for this country of ours, really sorry if that is our mindest as a people.

Its better u look for anoda house or u pay him, Reporting him to the authorities is neva free, Succeeding in getting him behind the bars wont solve ur problems, U've just added more, NA AFRICA WE DEY O, NO BE YANKEE, LANDLORD GO DEY FOR PRISON, TENANT DEY SLEEP FOR HOUSE, I LAFF IN JAPANESE,

showing the reason why it is important to obey the law or be punish. The landlord agreement cannot overrule state law.

Thank God for this case.
@ OP, we are watching this test case, let's see how it ends, who will win? I urge you to take him up with the law and keep us updated on the 'war' as it progress. Let's see if you can bell the proverbial cat.

I don`t think it is ideal for the poster to pay more than what the law states, if the landlords feel aggrieved they can collectively come under an umbrella and approach the court that the law is repugnant and unacceptable rather than employing crooked means to solve the problem. We keep blaming the Government, the devil and  enemies for our problems when we are actually  the problem. The issue is whatever happens it is your fundamental right to seek redress in the law court and it does not matter how many years it will take or how the matter is handled by the corrupt judges, what matters is the fact that you are making a difference. We have remained in this abysmal state because nobody is ready to effect a change no matter how little,we talk loudly but are cowards when it comes to action. Poster,i will advice you to confront your Landlord,though humbly,respectfully and politely and tell him what the law states and if he refuses get a lawyer or report the matter to the appropriate authority. I have had a similar experience with a Landlord that keeps quitting his tenants after the expiration of their rent in 2yrs for flimsy excuses and i took the matter up when it got to me, i spent 3 yrs in the house without paying a dime and voluntarily moved out of the house after 3yrs while the matter is still in court,i can assure you that he (The landlord) is a changed man right now. I have a place for you to live that will be comfortable for you and your family and i will accept 1yr rent, if you should confront him and the matter does not go in your favor. "Nation of idiots ruled by fools".

If actually, You are not ready to pay for 1 year

After you legal tussle

be prepared to pay for another 2yrs in advanced, with agent fee and agreement money

think you are smart

Abi you build house for the man, Govt should provide house for you.

^^^ I like your spirit. @ poster, you see! Please confront the wicked man and put him in jail immediately!!

Not too familiar with tenancy laws but I assume the landlord can demand whatever he wants, however if you don't have that amount you should appeal to the landlord who may be able make you an offer at his discretion.

You can seek legal consultance but this will only cost you money, waste you and the Landlords time and you will probably have to pay the annual rent in the end of it all. We know how it should and considering this is Nigeria we know how it will all turn out. Simply for peace and ease, contact the landlord privately and tell him what you can affor, if he disagrees leave the place and find somewhere else.

^^^ but, some people think he will be a coward for doing that?

yes law na law,  even if you pay 6 months,when the time comes again you will pay another 6months,  so you make your decision,to me its all the same thing abeg.

But make u dey careful ooh guy,make the man no follow you spiritually ,omo na u go go beg em say u wan dey pay 5 years or u wan pack commot  

@ OP, please don't run away from a good fight, the law is behind you and someone has just offered you a free house plus 1 year rent! Report the landlord, how dare him try to collect rent in his house

naijababe:


I have a question for you, if the landlord in question is your dad, would you wish for anyone to put him through the kind of wickedness you are suggesting here?

Nigerians sha! We are have to be the most selfish human beings on the planet. A government passes a law without thinking it through and some people here are talking about upholding a silly law simply because it benefits them. As you are quick to compare 'abroad' with Nigeria; I'd like you to tell me one law that has been passes which benefits/protects landlords?!

Landlords are still paying premium rates for building materials, do they get any subsidy or help from the goverments for doing what the government is supposed to do i.e. provide affordable housing ?!. Also, many of these landlords are pensioners, widow(ers) who rely on their rental income for their sustenance (since the silly government can't/won't pay their pensions). I am not a landlord, but what I have seen some tenants put their landlords through is nothing short of wicked.

In Nigeria, if you are civil with people, they treat you as if you are mugu. Mtcheww!!!

The fact is we are morally and spiritually bankrupt in this country, i will like to make it clear to you that in a civilized clime you cannot break the law you can only break yourself to comply with the law that is why the United States, Britain is what it is today that we are all cramping ourselves to go there no matter the ill treatment they give to us. I own properties here in Lagos and Port Harcourt, i have sent a circular to all my tenants in Lagos to comply with the newly passed law, my tenants are happy with me and i am happy with them. A tenant even approached me and said Oga your actions humbles me,please i am willing to pay you your normal 1yr rent and others did same but i told them "NO". If that is what i can do to make life easy for people and make Nigeria a better place i am ok with it, Do not think i have so much,i have my problems as well but that is what the law says i should do period. Don`t make decisions blindly on the basis of ethnicity,nepotism or religion. "Nation of idiots ruled by fools".