You have 45 minutes with a prospective tenant to decide whether to hand them your property for a year or more. Most bad tenancies show their signs early — but only if you know what to look for.
1. Reluctance to provide a valid government ID
Any person with a legitimate reason to rent will gladly show their NIN, BVN, or passport. Reluctance to provide ID, or producing poor-quality photocopies only, is the single biggest warning sign. If you can't verify who they are, you cannot enforce anything against them later.
2. Wants to pay cash only
Cash has no paper trail, which is convenient for anyone laundering money, hiding income from tax authorities, or planning to dispute payment later. A tenant who refuses bank transfer is creating optionality for themselves and denying you protection.
3. Offers to pay more than one year upfront (in Lagos)
This is illegal under LTL 2011. A tenant who voluntarily offers two or three years' rent in Lagos is either unaware of the law (fine, educate them) or trying to sweeten you into overlooking something else. Either way, don't accept.
4. Unclear or inconsistent employment story
"I work in oil and gas" without a specific company is useless. "I'm a consultant" without clients is a red flag. Verifiable employment — a company name, position, employer letter, payslip — is the minimum. If the story changes between visits, the tenant is unreliable.
5. Unable to produce two guarantors
Everyone has two people in their life who would vouch for them. A prospective tenant who can only produce one, or none, has social signals you should pay attention to. Family members don't count if they can't be verified.
6. Pressures for urgency
"I need to move in this weekend, please skip the references." Legitimate urgency exists (job relocation, end of previous tenancy), but pressure to bypass verification steps always indicates either poor planning or bad intent. Neither is your problem to solve.
7. Previous landlord reference is vague or refuses to talk
A previous landlord who says "yeah, yeah, they were fine" without specifics has probably never met the tenant. Worse, one who refuses to take your call is telling you everything about why they left. Follow up with at least two previous landlords if the tenant claims to have rented before.
8. Misalignment between lifestyle and income
A tenant who drives a 2024 G-Wagon but claims a ₦500k/month salary is doing something else. That "something else" is not your problem — but it becomes your problem when authorities come looking. Match lifestyle to reported income.
9. Unwillingness to sign a proper agreement
"Do we really need all these clauses?" Yes, you do. A tenant uncomfortable with written terms is a tenant planning to deviate from oral ones. Walk away.
10. History of multiple moves in short periods
A tenant with five different addresses in the last three years is either a fraud risk, a nightmare neighbour, or both. Ask why they're moving so often. Listen carefully. If the answer sounds rehearsed, trust your instinct.
MyTenant gives Nigerian agents and landlords the tools to onboard tenants, collect rent, and manage leases in one place.
Get Started with MyTenant →