Freetown Tenant Appeals for Intervention in Alleged Forced Eviction and Non-refund of Rent

A tenant in Freetown, identified as Foday Mattia, has accused his landlord of refusing to refund Le3,000 in rent payments following what he described as a forceful and unannounced eviction from a rented property, prompting him to seek intervention to resolve the dispute.

In a complaint submitted to Sierraloaded, Mattia said he rented the property in 2024 and had maintained a good payment record until this year, when he lost his job and remained unemployed for six months, making it difficult to meet his annual rent obligation on time.

According to the complainant, he paid Le3,000 on 15 June towards the annual rent of Le3,500 and informed the landlord that he would pay the remaining Le500 by the end of the month. He claimed the landlord accepted the arrangement and agreed to the extended payment period.

Mattia, however, alleged that before the agreed deadline elapsed, the landlord removed items from the front of the house while he was still occupying the premises. He said the action led him to believe that the landlord had terminated the tenancy without prior notice and no longer wanted him to remain in the house.

He further alleged that after requesting a refund of the Le3,000 he had already paid, the landlord declined but instead advised him to find another tenant to take over the room so he could recover his money.

The complainant said he honoured that request by securing a prospective tenant. However, he claimed the arrangement later collapsed after the landlord allegedly changed his position, causing the prospective tenant to withdraw. He said he subsequently refunded the prospective tenant the money that had been paid.

Having since vacated the property completely, Mattia maintained that he fulfilled the condition set by the landlord and therefore believes he is entitled to a full refund of the Le3,000 already paid.

He is now appealing to the relevant authorities and other stakeholders to intervene and help recover the money, adding that he is prepared to present witnesses and other evidence in support of his claims.

The landlord has not publicly responded to the allegations. Sierraloaded has not independently verified the claims and remains available to publish the landlord’s response in keeping with the principles of fairness and balanced reporting.