ACCOMMODATION GUIDE FOR STUDENTS: 10 EASY STEPS

ACCOMMODATION GUIDE FOR STUDENTS: 10 EASY STEPS

Every year, thousands of students are admitted to various institutions (universities,
polytechnics, colleges of education, monotechnics, etc...) across the country.
Tertiary education serves as the bridge to the program you are admitted for and a
career after completion of your studies, as easy it sounds on paper, it involves
arduous academic work and studies to attain your goals. Universities normally
provide accommodation for its students (sometimes on campus or outside, or both,

depending on the School).
Noteworthy, some universities specifically the public
institutions do not have sufficient bed spaces for the teeming population of
undergraduates or post graduates likewise. Students are made to contend for bed
spaces in hostels that are bereft of healthy living conditions. Occupants are usually
faced with challenges such as:

1. Dilapidated toilets and bathrooms
2. Lack of kitchen facilities
3. Overcrowding in rooms
4. Bed bug ridden beds
5. High rate of stealing.

Thus, students scout for better living conditions outside campus. Unscrupulous
members of the society leverage this opportunity to exploit students or their
parents, providing them with far less habitable apartments in ill developed and less
sanitized areas, houses far from the schools and demand exorbitant fees.
Ultimately, students need to be cautious of their search for apartment, several
factors should be considered:

1. Do not be too desperate to secure an apartment
2. Ensure you consult a registered and professional agency whilst searching for an
accommodation
3. Ensure any apartment or hostel you are shown is truly vacant and has been put
up for rent by the landlord

4. Ensure you collect the contact details of the landlord and verify the landlord
truly owns the property
5. Ensure all facilities listed in the apartment are in perfect working condition
before payment
6. Do not be in a hurry to pay. In the event you are put on pressure by the realtor,
go back and make findings of the person’s credibility
7. Ensure you have an agreement (documented) with both the real estate agency
and landlord for payment made
8. Ensure the real estate agency has an office and an authentic certificate of
incorporation
9. Ensure you are not coerced to pay for an accommodation
10. Always confirm the authenticity of the real estate agency; visit their website or
social media platforms.

CHAWMART LTD, is
Nigeria’s foremost real estate agency providing apartments and hostels for the
Nigerian populace.
In 2017, CHAWMART secured suitable hostels and apartments for over
10,000 students in Lagos.

Source: Agbodoh Samuel (B.Sc Unilag)