Tenants have plenty to say about renting and the apartments they have lived in, and most of them agree on one thing: search thoroughly before you pay a kobo for an apartment. We asked a few of them what they would check if they were house-hunting today.
Their stories vary. Some landlords and tenants have argued so badly that fists flew. Some landlords have made life so unbearable that tenants packed up and left. Others moved in after agents and landlords promised 24/7 water, then watched the taps run dry. Broken promises leave tenants furious, and security and network problems often add to the frustration.
So before you hand over your money, run through this checklist. 
1. Religion
Religion can decide whether an apartment suits you. Imagine sharing a compound with other tenants or a landlord who hold worship sessions at 5 am. They wake the whole compound at an hour when everyone else wants to sleep. Some even use a microphone, which adds noise pollution to the mix. Some landlords go the other way and refuse tenants of other faiths, because they want to avoid disturbances and differences in the compound. Ask about the compound’s religious life before you sign anything.
2. Network
Find out which network performs best in the area before renting an apartment, so you don’t spend your working hours staring at a loading screen. Remote workers and online sellers suffer most. We live in a digital age, and you need a signal to make calls, complete transactions and do almost everything else.
3. Power Supply
Study the electricity situation in the area. Ask whether the apartment has a prepaid meter, and check whether the meter carries a debt. Previous occupants sometimes leave one behind when they move out, and the next tenant can end up paying for it. Steady power makes everything easier and turns a house into a home you enjoy.
4. Ask About the Rainy Season
Some people pay millions of naira for a house, only to watch the street turn into a swimming pool every time heavy rain falls. They can’t step out for their daily activities because floodwater has swallowed the area and the apartment. Don’t rely on the agent’s word. Investigate, and ask the neighbours what the area and the apartment look like in the rainy season. Keep asking questions until you are satisfied.
5. Match Your Budget to Your Income
Be honest about what you can afford. Renting a ₦2 million apartment makes no sense just because you happened to have that much cash on hand, if you earn ₦150,000 a month. You will struggle to renew when the year ends, because you have no other income to draw on. Stay within your means and don’t stretch yourself beyond what you can carry.
READ ALSO: Tenant Rights in Nigeria: Before You Fight Your Landlord, Read This
6. Find Out What Kind of Person the Landlord Is
Do your due diligence. Ask the neighbours and other occupants whether the landlord is a troublesome person. Things can turn ugly fast. One tenant reportedly injured a landlord’s eye after the landlord raised the rent and blamed the high price of cement. An experienced lady also told us she could never again share a compound with her landlord. He told her she couldn’t have many visitors, and he barred friends from visiting. He also monitored her movements, and since he lived in the same building, she found it deeply inconvenient.
7. Security
However much you love the apartment, protect your life and your belongings. Ask how safe the area and the building are. An apartment can come fully furnished, with running water and a strong network, and still have weak security. Thieves then walk in with ease and carry away the money and property you worked hard for. Treat security as one of your top priorities, because you can only enjoy your home if you feel safe in it.
READ ALSO: Here is Why Rent in Lagos Keeps Rising
8. Water Supply
Never take “we have water” at face value as tenants when renting an apartment. Agents and landlords love to promise 24/7 supply, but many tenants move in and find the taps dry by the second week. Here is how to check properly:
- Find the source. Ask whether the water comes from a borehole, a well, the public mains or a tanker. Each has its own problems.
- Ask who pays for the pump. If a borehole supplies the building, find out who covers the diesel or electricity that runs it. Some landlords pass the cost on to tenants.
- Test it yourself. Visit at different times of day, turn on the taps, flush the toilet and check the pressure. Look at the colour of the water and sniff it.
- Ask about the dry season. Wells and boreholes can run low when the rain stops, so ask the neighbours how the supply holds up.
- Check the storage. Look at the size of the tank and ask whether tenants share it.
- Get it in writing. If the landlord promises constant water, ask him to put it in the tenancy agreement.
Water affects your cooking, cleaning, bathing and health, so you can’t afford to skip this check.
9. Confirm the Dos and Don’ts
Landlords often set rules when tenants renting apartment who break them breach the agreement. Ask about the rules before you pay. If they feel like too much, walk away. Some landlords ban pets, and others limit how often friends can visit. Singles have it especially hard. Many landlords prefer married couples, because they assume a single man or woman will bring home different partners. If you can’t live by the rules, take your leave before you pay.
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