The prolonged strike of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) over failure of the Federal Government to meet its agreement is creating uncertainty amongst landlords in university communities, investigation by Africa Housing News reveals.
It is no longer news that ASUU has been on strike since February 14th this year in an industrial action that it hopes would enforce the implementation of agreement it reached with the Federal Government since 2009 amongst other demands.
As students continue to stay at home, those living in many of the off-campus accommodations usually self-contain, single rooms and one-bedroom apartment have often lamented the wastage of the money they have paid for rents for the period ASUU has been on strike.
One of such students who gave her name simple as Melody said, “I think I can say I am the most affected student during this ASUU strike. I just paid my rent for a new house on the 7th of February and on the 14th, ASUU went on strike.
“With no end in sight even in August, it means my six months rents have been a waste.”
For another student who spoke on the condition of anonymity, this is the second time he would be “wasting money on rent” as he did not live in the rented apartment because of ASUU strike of 2020 which lasted from April till December and the present ongoing strike.
He added, “Maybe after the Federal government and ASUU have decided to reach an agreement and call of the strike, we the students should call our own strike and sue both FG and ASUU for waste of time and money paid for rent.”
Many students have also lamented what they describe as the insensitivity of their landlords in this period as some of the landlords continue to send them notification for payment of rent that is due.
Miss Ewomazino, a 200-level student of English and Literary Studies in the Delta State University, Abraka said that she was visibly angry to have received a notice from her landlord over rent that was due in July.
According to her, “It is not possible for me to request for rent from my parents as I am currently at home so I was not really happy when I saw his text concerning my rent due date. All my belongings are still in his house so it is not like I am running away”.
However, reacting to questions on how landlords ought to treat their student tenants during the strike period, Mr Lawal, who owns an off-campus apartment in Abuja, says the ASUU strike has placed him and his counterparts in precarious situation.
According to him, “As landlords, we are also faced with various issues because of the on-going ASUU strike. Some hostels have been broken into and robbers made away with belongings of students.
“This has made some of us employ emergency security guards for hostels that currently do not have any occupants. Although it is a loss on our part, it is the price we have to pay to protect our properties and the belonging of students that reside in our hostels.”
On the issue of rent, he added, “This is quite a delicate matter to be honest. While we sympathise with the plight of students, I do not blame some of my co-landlords who still demand for rents to be paid even as students are at home.
“This is due to bitter experiences some of us have had during previous strikes.”
He narrated that most students who have months arrears of rent due during the strikes would most times relocate to new hostels without the knowledge of their previous landlords. This he believes has influenced the behavior of landlords.
He added, “Just imagine me spending money to protect personal belongings of the students in my hostel during the strike and immediately the strike is called off, those who owe rent move out without my notice, how do you expect me to be liberal to students if there is another strike.”
A caretaker who spoke on the condition of anonymity said that landlords have every right to request for their rent because the tenancy agreement does not stipulate that the house must be occupied or not and as such, the decision as to whether to request rent or not during the strike is at the discretion of landlord.
Parents whom the burden of these ‘wasted rents’ fall have continued to called on the union and federal government to reach an agreement in the nearest possible time. As Mr Lawal puts it, “The ASUU strike is the cause of this whole predicament. Once they call it off, things usually go back to normalcy within a few months.”
