A millennial’s guide in renting an apartment in Lagos
If you work in Lagos, you will most definitely need a house. In most cases, you will seek one close to your workplace to save you the madness of the traffic situation which has cost several job interviews and a befitting eight hours sleep. The hurdle to getting a really decent place to stay is really daunting.
Emmanuel, 30 is a writer living in Lagos and for the better part of 2020, he had frantically begged his friends (me inclusive) to point him in the direction of a vacant apartment. As a well-experienced writer who also doubles as an editor, his schedule is busy and he never really got time to actually search for a house. His trust in agents led him to more expenses.
“My rent was supposed to expire in December last year and starting from September 2020, I was already looking for new accommodation. However, I found out that when you are fully engaged in a job from Monday to Friday, Saturdays are the only time you have to go for inspection. What that means is that the agent you are discussing with will be very busy on Saturdays.”
He explained that it is a lot difficult on weekends to see the properties and then make up your mind. Also, the rise of fake agents also made house hunting worse.
“There are unscrupulous agents or people who pretend to be agents. All they are interested in is getting the ‘agency fees’ while pretending to have access to properties they have no access to. Once you pay them the money, they disappear.”
Between September to December of 2020, he said he never got a decent place. All he got were antics of realtors who show tenants a picture different from the original property to lie afterward that the property has been rented out.
“They will show you a fine house within a neighborhood surrounded by slums, thereby posing a question of security,” he argued.
This led him to negotiate with his landlord who allowed him to stay half year from January 2021 to June 2021. Due to his experience of looking for accommodation during the ember months period; Benson chose to start early in a bid to secure a really decent place.
“I budgeted money for agents. I also had to rely on people’s recommendations- people who were helped to rent apartments for instance. I still spent a lot of money because between September and December last year, it cost about ₦2500 to pay ‘agency’ fee but I found out by March 2021, the money had increased to ₦3500 and for the good ones, they will charge ₦5000. I was paying like 10 different agents. All were looking but a few (agents) were fake.”
Emmanuel said they didn’t really get his description because he was taken to different neighborhoods which were costly and stressful. This is because he bore all the transport costs. He however noted that property prices went up by 40% and maybe that’s why it took a long time to get a good deal.
“I found out that properties with decayed facilities were high in pricing while the accommodation that was relatively manageable was extra high. I was looking at Omole Phase 1 for a mini flat. They said it was ₦850, 000 per annum excluding agency fee and all of that.
“With that amount, if we go somewhere around Fagba or somewhere a little inside Ojodu Berger, you would get something where ₦900,000 would cover the whole package. That was what I considered. I could close my eyes and look for ₦900,000 and pay immediately but is it something sustainable? If I have children now, that money would be crazy. Also, the landlord could increase the money.”
He settled for an apartment that was secure and in an estate and a bit far away from the city. According to him, the new place is very secure.
Unmet expectations
Dara Oluwatoye’s desire for a serviced apartment has not been met. The house search, according to her, has been upsetting, to say the least.
“Getting accommodation in Lagos is very stressful. I have been on the lookout for a serviced self-contained apartment to avoid the stress of hiring artisans to fix this or fix that. I also wanted constant light because I work remotely.
“I worked with a couple of agents and was required to pay a finders fee. One found me a place which I felt was good. I went there and I paid for the place. I paid 10% of the fee for the whole place which amounted to ₦80,000. I also paid transport money as well. However, I have been unable to move in because it had been undergoing minor repairs for some time now. Close to three weeks, I have not been able to move in and repairs are still ongoing. I paid for the place in September 2021 and I cannot move into the place. I asked for a refund and I am currently waiting for my refund to move into another place.”
“The only reason I paid for that place was because I was running out of time and I wanted to leave my current accommodation. It is just like paying for a car and being unable to drive it because the manufacturer refused to release it to you.”
Neusroom’s Michael Orodare described getting accommodation in Lagos as “crazy.” “You can be on it for a long time with a big budget and not get any,” he said.
“I was looking for an apartment in Ogba in 2019. A room and parlour self contain was going for ₦250,000 which I budgeted ₦300,000 for. I did not get anything that was neat and could pass for a house. It was so terrible. Agents made it worse by saying it was the best house ever.”
Agents, a clog in the wheel
Orodare strongly believes unscrupulous agents are the clog in the wheel for good apartments.
“Recently an agent took me to an apartment of ₦750,000. The whole apartment is not even up to a parlour and it is expected to be a two-bedroom flat. It was very tiny and terrible. Agents kept telling me you can make it better and that better is like 50% of your house rent. I met an agent on Twitter who said I must pay ₦5000 before he can take me anywhere.
He added, “Being an agent in Lagos is the easiest thing to do. All you have to do is ask: do you have an apartment? When you get something from them you can add your own fee as 10% agency fee. You will not even leave your house and you can link your client to another agent for inspection. Some are genuine and some are fraudulent.”
A Lagos realtor, Jimi Oni, who runs a real estate firm known as Jimi Oni & Associates, advised Lagosians to be careful when dealing with agents as the ones who fall prey should have done due diligence in vetting the agents.
“It is important for Lagosians to ask these agents for their certificates to be sure whether they are qualified to do this work. Real surveyors and valuers do not collect money if there is no property on ground but these agents would make you register and start searching for properties they don’t have. “Any agent that defrauds anybody should be tried, however, we know they are not qualified.”
Oni also stressed that prices have not gone up. He explained that there could be high demand at the moment as Lagosians could not go about due to the pandemic. He also added that they didn’t have much money last year to rent due to COVID-19.
“Demand is high in residential areas but low in workplaces. There is high demand for mini flats but it is rarer for duplexes. We have not increased prices for our properties. However, we cannot give rebates.”
Meanwhile, Orodare advised Lagosians to be prayerful and very diligent when scouting for houses.
“Check your utility bill, don’t pay for a house that is under construction, do your background check on the landlord, also ask people about the bad things associated with the houses that you move into. It may sound spiritual but it is also important. Pray about it. Check for natural disasters.”
Oluwatoye firmly warns against a finder’s fee. She also tells residents to factor in access to hospitals, markets, and schools when getting a place to live. She added that people should be security conscious and avoid staying around motels, hotels, bars and clubs for peace of mind.
