Are Tenants Now Haunting Landlords?

There was a time when the word landlord sent chills down the spines of erring tenants; the days of old when an eviction notice was like a death penalty.  Albeit what is obtainable these days is that tenants now believe they have equal footing with their landlords, they can even go on to call their bluffs and possibly commit arson. This article delves into the unfriendly, abusive and violent relationship that exists between landlords and tenants.

Many tenants dread the sight of their landlord even when they’ve offset their rent and bills. It’s always like their minds and entire being have been programmed to think that anytime the landlord comes around, all hell will be let loose.

I suppose the question on their lips at those times would be; who is the scapegoat this time? Hope the monster is not coming for me?

When a landlord enters a compound he owns, there is always an issue on ground or it could basically be to inspect the state of his facility and worse still to tackle one or more tenant who has stepped on his toes.

At some point landlords moved from just intimidating their tenants to assaulting some and even taking advantage of the helpless ones. We’ve heard cases of sexual assault, rape, violence, brutality, and even murder.

Some landlords do take laws into their hands and perpetrate evil on their tenants when their rent is not forthcoming, some even employ diabolical means in ensuring that their will is done regardless of whose ox is gored.

Some landlord play God in the life of their tenants but what is more disturbing is the aspect of rape of tenants’ children. Please how is that part of paying rents and bills?

In October 2015, a 46-year-old landlord, simply identified as Sunday, was arrested for allegedly raping a 10-year-old daughter of his tenant at Bonugo village in Kwali Area Council in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The incident happened after the victim’s parents who are tenants in Sunday’s house, went out to visit a relative. According to an eye-witness account, the accused allegedly lured the girl into his room and raped her, causing serious injuries on her private part, adding that it was two days later, when the parents discovered that their daughter was not walking properly that they asked her what was wrong with her.

“The man, after raping the girl, threatened to kill her if she told her parents. The mother noticed the abnormal way she was walking and asked her what was wrong but she refused to talk,” the eye witness said.

It took the intervention of a relative of the victim who threatened to beat her if she refused to tell her parents what was wrong before she told her parents the landlord had lured her inside his room and defiled her.

A similar incident occurred in the Ajah area of Lagos state when a landlord raped the 14-year old niece of his tenant whose rent was supposedly due and many other cases like that.

In Edo state it was a different scenario two years ago when doctors at the Central Hospital in Benin City battled to save the life of one Alex Aigbogun who was stabbed in the stomach by his landlord, simply identified as Enogieru over a girl.

Little wonder why many tenants don’t fancy the idea of staying in the same compound with their landlord. It makes their stay there frustrating.

However the tides seem to be turning if recent news that has been making the rounds is anything to go by. The word that is going out now is that, tenants don’t dread their landlords anymore. In fact, there is no need to mince words; the tables have been turned.

The landlords shiver in the presence of some of their nefarious and trouble shooting tenants. They even fear to ask for their rents when due especially now that the tenants know their rights according to the tenancy laws.

In recent times landlords have lost their lives while trying to get their rents that had been long overdue from erring tenants. There was a case of an aged landlord who was beaten to a pulp by his tenant over high electricity bill. The landlord eventually died. That incident happened in Ondo town.

Tenants now send messages to their landlords threatening them with all sorts. They even send thugs to their families while some others stay for years without paying a dime as rent. Why are landlords now preyed on? What changed that suddenly the hunter is now haunted? When did the tides change?

Please share your thoughts on the assault now meted on some landlords especially the aged ones by erring and nefarious tenants.

Let’s have your opinion by hitting the comment box below.