CribCheckMost rental regrets in Nigeria are not about the finish. They are about water, power, drainage and money that appears after you have already paid. Work through the property in a fixed order so nothing is skipped because the agent is in a hurry.
Before you enter the building
- Compare the road level with the compound level, and look for flood marks on the gate, fence and base of walls.
- Find the soakaway and septic tank, and see how close they sit to the borehole.
- Note where the generator sits and how close it is to bedroom windows.
- Look at the drainage on the street: blocked, sand-filled or missing covers will not cope in a downpour.
- Check parking, gate security and how the compound is lit at night.
Water
- Run every tap, hot and cold, and watch pressure while another tap is open.
- Ask what the source is: borehole, well, tanker or public supply, and who pays for the pump.
- Look at water colour in a white container and smell it. Brown, cloudy or metallic water needs testing.
- Find the tank, check its size and condition, and ask when it was last cleaned.
Power
- Ask how many hours of public supply the street gets on a normal day, then ask a neighbour the same question.
- Check whether the meter is prepaid, shared or estimated, and whose name it is in.
- Test sockets with a phone charger. Anything warm, loose or browning is a fire risk.
- Look at the distribution board: labelled breakers, no exposed joins, no burnt smell.
- Ask who owns the generator, who buys the diesel, and what it costs each month.
Damp, drainage and ventilation
- Touch the base of walls and the inside of wardrobes for damp and a musty smell.
- Look up at ceilings for stains, sagging boards and fresh paint only on ceilings.
- Flush every toilet and watch how fast water drains. A smell at a drain means gas is coming back into the room.
- Check that every bathroom and the kitchen has a working window or extractor.
Security, doors and windows
- Open and close every door and window, and test every lock with the key.
- Check burglary proofing, and whether any bedroom window offers an escape route in a fire.
- Ask who else holds a key, and whether locks are changed between tenants.
Signal and noise
- Make a voice call and run a data speed test in each room, not only at the window.
- Ask whether the building already has fibre or fixed wireless installed.
- Return in the evening, if you can, and listen for generators, bars, churches, mosques and traffic.
People and paperwork
- Confirm the agent has written authority from the owner to let the property.
- Ask for the full move-in cost in writing: rent, agency fee, agreement fee, caution deposit and service charge.
- Read the tenancy agreement before paying, especially repair, service-charge and renewal clauses.
- Photograph the condition of every room on the day you move in.
A CribCheck walkthrough takes you through these checks one area at a time, records your answers and turns them into a condition score with indicative repair costs you can negotiate with.