The plaza
Tenants
at the Broadway Shopping Plaza have dragged their landlord to court
over allegations of a 100 per cent rent increment and for demanding a
three-year upfront payment of rent.
It
was gathered that the landlord of the plaza, Sunday Omosen, had
sometime in August allegedly called the tenants to inform them of his
intention to increase the rent by 100 per cent and demanded the tenants
to pay three years’ rent upfront.
It
was learnt that depending on size and location, shops in the plaza,
went for between N250, 000 to N1m per annum. It was also gathered that
the current rent for most tenants was due to expire on October 31, this
year.
The Lagos State Tenancy Law 2011
states in part, “It shall be unlawful for a landlord or his agent to
demand or receive from a sitting tenant rent in excess of six months
from a monthly tenant and one year from a yearly tenant in respect of
any premises without prejudice to the nature of tenancy held at the
commencement of the tenancy.”
When the
matter was brought before Justice O. H. Oshodi of the Lagos State High
Court for hearing on Wednesday, the landlord’s counsel, Mr. Okechukwu
Umemuo, denied the allegation of the 100 per cent rent increment and
three years’ upfront payment.
In his
ruling, Justice Oshodi ordered the parties (landlord and tenants) to
maintain the status quo and pay their rent on or before November 6,
2014, which is the next adjournment for the case.
PUNCH
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