Fashola advocates for landlord-tenant-employer’s relationship to deduct rents monthly

The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, on Thursday advocated for a landlord-tenant-employer’s relationship to ensure rents are deducted from tenants’ salaries at the end of each month, and paid directly to the landlord.

He urged landlords in the country to start collecting rents in arrears beginning from today, July 6, 2018, to ease payment pressure on the side of the tenant in 12 months, as that, according to him, is the usual practice in advanced economies.

Fashola said the landlords should understand the plights of low-income earners, adding that since salary earners do not receive payment in advance, payment for rents should not also be demanded in advance.

The minister made this known while speaking on the theme, ‘Innovative housing finance model as a catalyst for home ownership,’ at an event for real estate operators in Abuja.

Read also: ‘Inflation to drop for 17th consecutive month in June’

“Even my salary as a minister is paid at the end of every month, not even at the beginning; then you the landlord is now asking me to bring next year’s salary, and we’re complaining that there’s corruption.

“I tried to intervene as a governor, passing the resolution to our own council in Lagos then, but the outcome was not peaceful, because there were landlords in our midst.”

“Those who get paid weekly, pay their rents weekly; those who get paid monthly, pay monthly rents,” Fashola stated.

“I believe this meeting is about the critical mass of Nigerians, the taxi drivers, market men and women who earn their money daily and are not even sure of making any revenue for that day. Meanwhile, landlords expect advance payments,” the minister lamented.

By Oluwasegun Olakoyenikan….

RipplesNigeria… without borders, without fears

Click here to join the Ripples Nigeria WhatsApp group for latest updates.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now