COVID-19 Crisis:Schools Owners Appeal To Landlords Over Rents

 

"WE want to appeal to  landlords to be considerate at a time like this. Please don’t send teachers in private schools out.”

That was the content of a recent post by the Founder, Concerned Parents & Educators, CPE, Mrs. Yinka Ogunde, on the Facebook page of the organisation.

Among the most hard hit is the education sector where schools are under lock and key for months.

However, even with the gradual easing of the lockdown period and the near return to normalcy, teachers are again faced with another challenge, that is accommodation.

For Mrs Chioma Owolabi, a private school owner in Lagos, life has not been the same since the outbreak of COVID19 and the resulting lockdown.

According her, her landlord has been pressuring her to pay for the space she used as school, despite not using the space for a year..

She stated: “The property I was using for my school has just been sold. After paying for it, I used it for only 6 months before the pandemic and now it has been sold. The new landlord gave us notice to evacuate after it expired, they refused renewal because they intend to use it.”

The Vanguard Tweet indicates that a teacher -who declined to be named- said: “Until now my landlady had been patient with me for delayed payment of rent. This time around that she is threatening me with payment or packing out. I understand that she is a retired civil servant with no other means of income and she really needs money now that is the reason. She gave me till the end of this week to pay or she will be forced to give me a quit notice. So I am running round to gather money but nothing yet for now. I am waiting for a miracle to happen.”

Mrs Ifedayo Abiodun, a teacher and a nursing mother narrated how her landlord’s request for house rent has destabilised her.

According to her, “I am a private school teacher and also a nursing mother, my landlord doesn’t live with us but comes around when it is time to remind you of your house rent and to collect his money. He was around last month, which was July and was already asking me of my rent outside where everyone was staring and listening. I had to quarrel with him on why will he be asking of rent outside as if we had our first agreement outside. I just pray God opens the way for us all (teachers) so as to pay our rent before they disgrace us.”

Speaking to Vanguard, Mrs, Adesuwa indicated that she was sufferings in the hands of her landlord: “My own case is terrible. We were paying N70,000 as rent. However, when my husband called the Lawyer handling the rent for our apartment, he told him that the rent has been increased to N125, 000. We told him that since March we have been managing and haven’t received salary. We have been begging him to reduce it considering the situation in the country.

 widow's plight:

“My landlord is threatening to send me packing if I don’t settle by next week. I have been begging her almost on a daily basis and she is not listening. I have been asking for loans from people but they think I may not be able to pay back since schools are still on lock down.” she lamented.

“My own landlady is very heartless, she has been disturbing me since June for house rent, I explained to her that I have not received salary since April and I’m also a widow, but she doesn’t want to listen to me”.

Another single parent narrated how she was maltreated by her landlord because her house rent expired last month.

Her words: “In fact,I am a victim. My money expired 31st of July and on the 1st, my landlord came to beat me up. A single parent coupled with the fact that am not being paid at this period.I wish the government can see and feel my predicament.”

Even the non-teaching staff are not spared in the victimisation by landlords.