5 Questions To Ask Before Renting an Apartment in Abuja

If you are considering renting an apartment in Abuja, you must sit down and ponder over certain issues before making that jump. Like most things in Nigeria everyone, from Landlord and Agents are looking out to profit from peoples ignorance and if you are not careful, you could easily fall into the wrong hands.

There are tales of people who ended up being scammed that abound all over the internet and surprisingly even in 2021 some people who never pay attention to certain things may still end up as victims.

So, before you make that big move, we have outlined some important questions here that you must get answers to before you make that down payment for that apartment.

Here we go.

1. Is the area secure?

Currently in Northern part of the country, security is at its lowest ebb and as such anyone looking at getting a property MUST make it a point of duty to go beyond asking but also finding out how secure the area that the property is located is. You don’t want to rent a property and later discover that the area is prone to all sort of elements and attacks. These days security is a high priority for anyone doing business in Abuja and so any apartment you consider living in, no matter how well furnished or aesthetically pleasing it is must tick the security box.

2. What is the state of power supply in the area?

You do not want to spend so much on renting an apartment and then end up in darkness. So, it is worth researching the power supply situation in an area. I do not support just relying on the words of the agent or Landlord on this someone. Sometimes, it pays to visit the area to find out things for yourself because most Landlords and agents may never tell you the truth because they are afraid that they may lose you. There are also some cases of unsettled light bills that were either not cleared by the old tenant or landlord. All that needs to be settled before you move an inch.

3. What are the lease terms or Agreements?

Before you move into a new apartment, you need to review the lease terms or agreements. Pay attention to gray areas. Ask questions when necessary. If some issues are not clear enough, see a lawyer for interpretation. You will need to do all these because most times once an agreement is entered into unknowingly, excuses or ignorance does not suffice in law.

4. Are there other cost aside the rent?

For most landlords and agents, asides your rent, you may also need to pay what is called “Agent fee” or “agreement”. These exorbitant fees may be attached to the rent or detached from it. So, you need to know what your rent covers and what it does not. Most times, the fees are only required from a first-time renter and may never come up on subsequent payments. But you still need to be clear on everything before making any commitments.

5. What is the guest policy?

Due to issues related to security, most landlords have policies that try to checkmate the number of guests their tenants should have, and this can sometimes bring about clashes between tenants and their landlords. Also, for people looking at sharing apartments, some landlords most times frown at this and it is always a wise decision to find out if the apartment you are moving into has such restrictions or otherwise to avoid having a frosty relationship with the landlord later due to this issue.