'Failure of gov't to check excesses of landlords worrying'

The Point engaged some of the tenants, within West Coast Region in order to know their challenges. 

Abubacarr Njang, a tenant at Sinchu Alagie, said these days, tenants are in the habit of receiving letters from their landlords mostly through their estate agents, notifying them of rent increment and such letters usually end with strict warning such as late payment will not be tolerated. "I will not compromise on the payment; the rent must be paid first five days of the month."

He said Gambians are worried by the silence of the Executive and the National Assembly Members in the face of the ordeal they are being subjected to. 

Someone who did not want his name mentioned believed it is because those in power are only there for their selfish interest and not for the people.

According to him/her this whole thing; these wicked actions of landlords and predatory estate agents started when President Adama Barrow came to power. “It has never been this bad in the country. In those days the uncompromising of rent matter, landlords were careful to operate within the ambits of the law.”

"The fear of former president Yahya Jammeh was also another factor, it would be recalled that when some landlords started demanding their rent in foreign currency and six months or one year advance payment, it was reported in the local newspaper. Jammeh reacted and government press release warned the landlords to desist from such act or face the full force of the law," he explained. 

This source who spoke to this medium said people are wondering why many Gambian landlords behave as if they don't have any drop of humanity in them. They know very well that these are very hard times as rising price of essential commodities means Gambians now have less purchasing power; the people are contending with the adverse economic effects of covid-19.

"My friend was taken to the court by his landlord for owing arrears. Yes my friend actually owed some months arrears but it was not negligence or irresponsibility on his part. He is a civil servant, and the housing allowance in his salary happens to be about D1500.00. His landlord suddenly increased his rent from D2000.00 to D4000.00. How is he supposed to cope with that? Your rent increased, whereas your salary is not increased," he queried.