Good afternoon lawyers in the house. I want to enquire from you regarding tenant v landlady agreement. My friend who is living in a rented one-bedroom apartment has a challenge. Since he moved to the compound, he has been paying his PHED bills consistently without even a delay. Unknown to him, the landlady bypassed the meter. She owns a laundry shop in the compound which was her main aim of bypassing the meter. When PHED officials came for disconnection around the street, it was then discovered that she bypass the meter. The light was disconnected and charges of theft were slammed on her. PHED said her crime amounted to #270,000. It was then she came and open up to my friend residing in her compound that she actually bypassed the meter. She encouraged my friend to see if he can acquire his own meter to avoid future disconnection. My friend later gave it a thought and accepted to do it. After few days later, my friend called to inform her of his decision to go ahead with getting his own meter. She then said my friend should exercise some patience that her lawyer was coming to my friend. He waited until the Lawyer came. The lawyer now told my friend that the landlady said he should contribute money to fix the disconnected light FIRST before he can go ahead and get his own meter. My friend refused that he can't pay for what he doesn't have an idea about. That since he moved to the compound, he has been paying his bills as demanded by the landlady and no one ever told him that the meter was bypassed. The lawyer went back to the landlady and inform her about the position of my friend, She then said that my friend shouldn't get any meter until she fixes hers first. My friend is confused though considering taking legal action against the landlady. Please what do you advise?

Thank you in anticipation

get your own lawyer and advise the landlady that since you have nothing to do with the charge of theft, there is no way you should contribute to her issues.... and if she cannot provide decent/basic electricity for the tenants, then she should pay you back and let you find a different accommodation.