Must Your Potential Landlord Know Your Salary?

Tenant’s Dilemma

I am filling out the Form but there is a problem. Here it comes…

“How much do you earn?”

This was the moment of truth. I had purposely left out this portion of the ‘Tenant Evaluation Form’ sent to me by the Landlord’s agent for the simple reason that I found such enquiry unnecessarily intrusive. I had filled out all other portions of the Form – details of my family life, my job, where I had lived before, listed out references and so forth. The Form had gone into every facet of my life in detail and I felt that the information was enough for the Landlord and his agent to be able to draw conclusions on my character and financial standing.

But they wouldn’t stop there – the shocker was waiting for me.



I had to fill a section that asked me to show my annual remuneration with supporting documents like pay slips and tax payments. WHAT!

Wasn’t that going a little too far? These documents could end up anywhere and that could be dangerous to my family and I. I did not fill in this portion. Eventually, the agent told me that I was short-listed for the apartment and that I would ‘face’ a verbal interview with the Landlord. This went quite well until we got to the stage of the salary.

I explained my concerns but the landlord was adamant. I either tell him, with documentary proof, how much I was earning or I should forget the property. He said he had a ‘right’ to know if I would be able to pay the renewed rent.

Landlord’s Argument

Rents from my property is my pension. Although I have seven children, I have found out to my disappointment that instead of children taking care of their parents in old age, the parents are the ones ‘bailing’ them out. I am responsible for the school fees of three of my grandchildren, for example. When my daughter’s husband left her with three children and no means of support, she turned to me to save her. So instead of enjoying my retirement, I am raising children again. My rent has to be on the dot all the time or the children will be kicked out of school.

Unfortunately, renting out your property in Lagos these days is like kalokalo (betting). You see a nice couple coming to take your house. They are charming, well-spoken and give you the impression that they can pay the rent going forward, the service charge and maintain the house. When the time comes for the rent renewal or paying the service charge then you get all kinds of stories. Eventually you are forced to strong arm them and then you are painted as the devil incarnate.

So what should a wise landlord do?

I have to profile my tenants very carefully. Are they going for a property that is above their means? People say that it is not my business but if a tenant wants to pay for a house and does not have a salary to make future payments, it would be stupid on my part to let the property out to him or her.

Whoever is not ready to meet my terms by showing all the documents required can go and build his own house.

Vox Populi

What do you think – Is the landlord right or wrong?

Sourced- Castles