The “I must be a landlord/lady” syndrome appears to be rocking in the ancient city of Benin; with more and more landlords/ladies erecting structures just for the records that they actually built a house(s).
However, one thing many fail to understand is the fact that it’s not about building houses but also about the maintenance of these structures. Several places we find dilapidated buildings with the landlords and ladies increasing their house rents, yet, without doing anything about improving the state of these houses.
It’s not enough that you erect structures, there has to be up-to-date maintenance of these houses. Although, several houses exist in which they were built by grandfathers, great grandfathers and the likes; that is not a bait to not maintaining these houses. However, we understand the fact that the materials used during their era are now obsolete and outdated, however, that is the essence of refurbishing and reconstructing these houses so that it will conform with the modern structures; also houses that needs to be rebuilt should be rebuilt.
Kurt Vonnegut wrote;” another flaw in the human character is that everybody wants to build and nobody wants to do maintenance”; and this indeed appears to be the case with some landlords and ladies in Benin City, and Nigeria at large.
It’s very saddening to see houses in this 21st century without water closet facilities, rather, we see pit latrines, houses without boreholes, structures with roof leakages, houses where flooding is the order of the day; yet, these landlords and ladies keep hiking house rents without developing their houses in return.
Furthermore, some landlords/ladies feel unconcerned about maintaining their houses, some even leave the duty and responsibility of maintenance for the tenants, without duly following up on this. A times, even when tenants complain of a fault in the house, they tell them to fix it themselves. This was the case of a friend of mine who rented an apartment, and later discovered that the roof was leaking, he then complained to the landlord, and the reply was that he should get someone to fix it. This got my friend really angry because he had barely spent two months in the apartment. He then requested for a refund of his rent, and a deduction of the two months spent in the house, which of course took a lot of time for the landlord to do so, as it was done with much pestering from my friend.
Just like my friend, several people have had woes to tell about landlords/ladies in Benin City and some of the outdated structures therein. It will also be factual to note that some landlords/ladies solely depend on the proceeds of their houses (house rents),and so, do not engage in any other job or business where they can get money from; and this act has a negative impact on them, as these house rents are used to cater for themselves, and their families, therefore, there is little or no money left to transform their houses, hence, leading to a continual depreciation of these houses.
In addition, it has also given rise to the continual increase in house rents by landlords/ladies. The rate at which buildings collapse is partly due to low maintenance level, and this maintenance begins from the first stage of drawing the design of the building. There are basically two stages of building maintenance: pre-building maintenance and post-building maintenance. The pre-building maintenance stage relates to the design components that can be used to optimize design processes in injecting high maintenance strength into the buildings. High building maintenance could be achieved right from the architect’s drawing board. From a recent research carried out in the University of Lagos (UNILAG), the major finding was that maintenance problems in buildings could be prevented or minimized by optimizing processes of design, using certain tested components which gives maintenance strength to buildings. By properly resolving these components as design inputs at the planning stage, the architects can fully arm the buildings against future maintenance problems. Many landlords/ladies never think of maintenance of their building at the design stage, and when they eventually build their houses, they begin to blame the poor maintenance on tenants. Little do they know that the pre-building maintenance stage is very crucial, as it determines the durability of the building structure, and also the amount of efforts put into the post-building stage. Maintenance is primarily to preserve buildings in their initial functional, structural, and aesthetic state. This is to ensure that they continue to remain in such state and retain their investment value over a long period of existence. However, looking at our buildings in Nigeria, one notices an array of abandoned and epileptically functioning facilities, and this is partly due to the fact that many house owners failed to undergo the pre-building maintenance stage.
From inception, high maintenance strength could be implanted into the building to avert any future breakdown. This can be achieved by placing more emphasis on the design stage; the design process could be optimized in such a way that there is adequate planning by choosing the right building materials, structural strength, good workmanship, plants and equipments, skilled labor, and many more. This will make maintenance problems totally reduced later in the building’s life. Maintenance problems in most cases originates from inappropriate planning for the building even from the architect’s drawing board. In lieu with this, David Allan Coe wrote;” it’s not the beauty of a building you should look at; it’s the construction of the foundation that will stand the test of time”. Therefore, as a house owner, or a to-be house owner, it’s pertinent to ensure your building undergoes the pre-building maintenance process even at the design stage.
The post-building maintenance stage is what most landlords/ladies in Benin City fail to observe. This has to do with the general upkeep of the house, the tidying of the compound, repairing of faulty facilities, refurbishing of the building, and many more. This is very important as it makes the building look more colorful and attractive.
In addition, although many scholars have come up with theories on how to maintain building structures, maintenance problem still remains adamantly unyielding and unresolved.
It is also crucial to note that poor maintenance stems from poor management. Poor functioning of facilities in most buildings is a consequence of inadequate management. The building of a house doesn’t stop at erecting its structure, but continual management of the house as well, and this can be achieved through proper maintenance. Several people lack the maintenance culture, and this has resulted in so many unkempt and dilapidated structures. Everyone appreciates a brand new structure, but many lack the ability to maintain the newness of this structure.
Jarod Kintz noted;” I’m building a building from scratch, and I’m making it out of a giant itch”. Each and every process involved in building is very important, as each process complements and supplements the other. There is no doubt that there is joy in owning your house, but we should as well note that it goes beyond building a house; maintenance of the house is key as well. Maintenance is important and should be put into focus when building a house; and this has to do with the upkeep of the property or building. No one will get angry if a landlord/lady increases the house rent on the basis of refurbishing and revamping the house. However, if he/she does so without improving the quality of the house, then, tenants will certainly complain, as no one will want to invest money into a particular thing without seeing the output. Therefore, house owners should ensure that they carry out an up-to-date maintenance of their houses.
Although, the Standard Organization of Nigeria(SON) has done a lot in terms of pre-building maintenance in order to ensure that standardized building materials are used in building, and also to ensure that standardized building materials are used in building, and also to ensure that the right design is used for the building, and to evaluate the maintenance strength of the building; there is still much work to be done in this regard as many people still use obsolete building materials in constructing buildings, hence, leading to a rising rate of collapsed buildings.
In addition, regulatory bodies should be set up in order to ensure that the post-building maintenance stage is strictly adhered to by both landlords and tenants. This is very crucial because we find out that many landlords/ladies do not maintain their houses after building it. Hence, these agencies should ensure that landlords/ladies use modernized toilets and bathrooms, and also to ensure that landlords/ladies do something about dilapidated structures in their houses, roof leakages and the likes; and the overall upkeep of the house as well; and whoever fails to do so should be punished so as to serve as a deterrent to others who also have nonchalance towards the maintenance of their buildings.
However, there are effects of poor building maintenance, and these effects are enormous.
BUILDING AND INFRASTRUCTURE DECAY: Inadequate maintenance of a building can lead to building and infrastructure decay. It can lead to dilapidation, degradation, and deterioration of these building structures. Recent research and analysis points to the fact that certain features such as cost of maintenance works, unskilled maintenance  technicians, inflation rates, effects of taxation on building owners, government policies, inability to prepare and follow maintenance schedules are direct causes of building and infrastructure decay.
Building and infrastructural facilities are gradually and systemically decaying due to poor maintenance and upkeep of buildings.
HEALTH HAZARDS: A poorly maintained house/building poses a health risk to occupants, as they are being exposed to various forms of health hazards. It as well causes various forms of ill-health and psychological effects thereby reducing the economic growth of the nation. Residents of houses where pit and bucket latrines are the order of the day are more prone to several forms of illnesses and diseases than those who reside in houses with water closets.
Therefore, poor maintenance of houses can also lead to health hazards.
BAD IMAGE/REPUTATION: No one wants to have a bad image or reputation. However, a house owner who cannot maintain his house will certainly have a bad image, and as well may be termed a ‘bad landlord/lady’ from occupants and outsiders as well.
BUILDING COLLAPSE: Lack of maintenance of building, particularly at the preliminary stage can lead to a collapse of the building. Although the government at all levels(federal, state, and local),and other relevant regulatory bodies are working hard in order to ensure that there is a total reduction, if not an elimination of ‘building collapses’ in the country, inadequate maintenance of buildings by house owners will certainly not bring us any closer to achieving that.
Landlords and ladies need to ensure that the adequate and standardized building materials are used for construction, and as well ensure that they maintain these structures so as to prevent a collapse of the building.
THE WAY OUT
Although, the effects of poor maintenance of buildings are enormous, there is a way out of this menace.
NIGERIANS SHOULD INCULCATE AN EFFECTIVE MAINTENANCE CULTURE: Several people lack maintenance culture that is why they find it difficult to maintain houses they reside. However, with the inculcation of this culture and lifestyle, there will be proper maintenance of buildings and all other erected structures across the country.
PROPER ENFORCEMENT OF BUILDINGPOLICIES-: Government policies on buildings and the standardization of building materials should be adequately implemented. This will serve as a bid to improving the quality of building maintenance across the country.
GET PROFESSIONALS TO DO THE JOB-: Get a professional architect to draw the plan of your building, and give an effective design of the structure. Ensure that the standard materials facilities and equipments are used in building.
We all should note that lack of maintenance of buildings and structures negatively affects the populace, and therefore, maintenance of various buildings across the country should be priority.