Hairy Lady Cries Out After Landlords, Caretakers Reject Her Because of Beards

A netizen, Uchechi Ewelike, has alleged that several landlords and caretakers in Port Harcourt rejected her from renting apartments because of her facial hair.

In a Facebook post shared on May 5, the realtor opened up about her painful experiences while searching for a house in the city, recounting three separate incidents of alleged discrimination.

According to Uchechi, one of the incidents involved a landlord’s sister who served as the caretaker of a property she intended to rent. After meeting her and assuring her that she would get back to her, the caretaker later informed her that the apartment had already been taken.

However, Uchechi said she later discovered through her agent that the house was not denied because it was unavailable, but because of her appearance, particularly her beard.

Some of the experiences she narrated on Facebook went thus: 

"...The first one was done by the landlord’s sister, who is the caretaker. I came down from Owerri because she requested to see me first. After meeting with her, she said she would get back to me, that she wanted to fix some things in the house. I agreed and left, only for her to call my agent and tell her that she doesn’t need a single person. But later, it was rented to a single person. When the agent confronted her, she said the truth was that she didn’t want to give me the house because of my look. 

"The other one went as far as sending me to his lawyer to fill out their form, and I was given one for my guarantor, which I took to her. After one week, I didn’t hear anything from them as they promised, so I had to call the person that took me there. He opened up and said that the landlord said he is afraid of renting his house to me. I was like, why would he stress me in the first place by sending me to his lawyer? He said he didn’t want to say it out; maybe he just wanted it to look like it was the lawyer that rejected me. E pain me ooo, but wetin I go do nah. 

"Another one used high rent and 2 years’ payment to push me away, and later rented it out at the normal price and 1-year payment period. "His agent called me and asked if I said anything bad to him that made him reject me. I said no. He only asked me what I do and where I came from and all that. Then he said, “Hope you know the rent is…” and that he is collecting 2 years’ payment. I told him no, that wasn’t what I was told. I even showed him the video and the description. "He said he had already told me how much he is renting his house. I just said okay and left. "Then the guy said, “It looks like the landlord doesn’t want to give you the house ooo. That was his reason for the rent hike. 

According to him, he is not comfortable with your look and confidence.” 

"I just smiled. I wasn’t even shocked anymore. "The funny part is that the same house was later rented out to someone I know at the normal price and for a 1-year period. "And so many others I can’t even mention now..." 

She however vowed to someday become a landlady in Port Harcourt, admitting that the stigmatisation she has faced has isolated her, caused her emotional distress and driven her into depression. 

"...Honestly, I have faced different challenges growing up as a child till now, not because I’m disabled, but just because I’m hairy. It has pushed me into isolation, depression, and mental and emotional stress. 

"The more I try to exist, the more people make it harder for me to live and survive. 

"What is my crime? "Why do people derive joy from putting others down?" she lamented.