Shock as lan*lord breaks into tenants’ houses, demolishes doors over delayed rent payment
Occupants of Limpopo apartment in Witeithie village, Juja are living in fear after their landlord broke into their houses and demolished their doors over delayed payment of rent.
Francis Kamau, the landlord is said to have broken into their houses and destroyed their doors using crude weapons, disconnected them from access to water and electricity.
Kamau, who does not live in the apartment, is said to have been angered by delayed April rent payment by the tenants.
Each tenant at the apartment is charged Sh 3,000 as rent every month.
But according to occupants of the one-storey building, their tenancy agreement reads date 10 as the deadline for rent payment.
Led by Ambrose Ondero, a carpenter, the tenants attributed the delayed payment to harsh economic crisis that has hit the country following the spread of COVID-19.
Since the pandemic was declared present in the country, Ondero said their business collapsed incapacitating their operations.
"I came on Monday evening only to find my single-roomed house broken into. I called the landlord but he was offline. I later called him but he has never picked my phone since," Ondero said.
"The deadline for payment of rent is date 10 and we are not yet there. This is outright inhumanity," added Ondero.
He said that tenants have been spending sleepless nights guarding their house appliances from theft.
The situation has also barred them from reporting to work as they cannot leave their houses open and unattended.
"We are only using curtains at night to cushion us from the unfriendly night weather. With kids, the situation is even worse," he added.
Lucy Njeri, a mother of three children said the landlord had subjected them to torture and risk of contracting various diseases among them Covid-19 and other water borne ailments.
Njeri who used to sell her wares at Witeithie market before it was shut to help fight the global pandemic said that life is unbearable in the current situation and called on the landlord to exercise humanity saying they have always remitted their rent fees without delay.
A spot check at the building revealed poor sanitation as all corridors were littered with filthy used food materials coupled dirt at the floor.
Reached for a comment, Kamau who spoke on phone admitted having broken in their houses but insisted that the tenants had not paid their March rent.
"They have not paid their March rent and cannot wait any longer. I broke into their houses so that they can leave my premises completely. Now that they haven't left, I will get rid of their houses iron sheets probably before the end of the day," said Kamau.
