NIA chair backs monthly payment of rent by tenants

By Dada Jackson

The Chairman of the Nigerian Institute of Architects (NIA), Lagos State Chapter, Mr David Majekodunmi, has thrown his weight behind the suggestion by the Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, that homeowners should collect monthly rent from prospective tenants as against what currently obtains in the county.

Majekodunmi in an interview with our correspondent said the practice of collecting rent for six months, one year and in some cases, two years from prospective tenants was like ‘ripping the tenants off’.

His words: “In  the United Kingdom (UK), for example, prospective tenants are required to pay two month rents with one of the months as ‘one month at hand’. What this ‘one month at hand’ means is that when the tenant is vacating the apartment, if no damage is done to the apartment, he or she gets a refund of the extra month paid. But where damage occurs, the ‘one month at hand” is forfeited to the owner of the premises. Here in Nigeria, it is known as ‘damages’.

According to him, with the current economic situation in the country where most people cannot afford to eat three square meals in a day, asking such Nigerians to continue to pay advance rent of six months and one year “will be demanding too much from such people”.

He said that he was in total support of the call by Fashola that property owners should start collecting monthly rents from prospective tenants.

He was quick to add that if prospective tenants were asked to pay monthly rents, it would go a long way in further lightening ‘their burden’ and making those unoccupied houses dotting places like Abuja and other high brow areas in the cities to be taken up.

Majekodunmi said that those opposing this suggestion were basically looking at the profit they would make if rents were paid six-monthly or yearly.

He added that such people had no interest of the masses at heart.