… Reps decry rent surge from ₦800,000 to ₦2.5m in parts of FCT
… Urge FG, states to enforce fair housing and rent regulation
… Say landlords exploit tenants after new infrastructure projects
Daud Olatunji
The House of Representatives has asked the Federal Government to work with state governments to regulate house rents nationwide and ensure that landlords do not increase rent by more than 20 percent at any given time.
The lawmakers made the resolution on Thursday following a motion sponsored by Bassey Akiba, a member representing Calabar Municipality/Odukpani Federal Constituency of Cross River State.
Akiba, while moving the motion during plenary, warned that arbitrary rent increases across the country were worsening the economic hardship faced by many Nigerians, especially tenants in urban centres.
He said many property owners now exploit tenants by raising rents suddenly after government completes public infrastructure projects such as roads, markets, or drainages within their areas.
“After the government builds new roads or markets, landlords immediately double or triple rents,” Akiba said. “In some parts of the FCT, rent has jumped from N800,000 to as high as N2.5 million a year. It is sheer exploitation.”
The lawmaker described the trend as “wanton exploitation” that defeats government’s intention of improving citizens’ welfare through public infrastructure. According to him, the development has driven many Nigerians into debt and even crime in their struggle to meet inflated rent demands.
Akiba added that there was an urgent need to balance the rights of property owners with the economic realities of tenants to ensure fairness, stability and sustainability in the housing sector.
Following a unanimous adoption of the motion, the House urged the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development to collaborate with state governments in enforcing rent control measures that will protect tenants from exploitation.
The green chamber also directed that rent increases should be capped at a maximum of 20 percent of the existing rate — regardless of any improvements or infrastructure changes in the area.
The House further mandated its Committee on Housing and Habitat to monitor compliance and report back within four weeks for further legislative action.
The lawmakers equally called on the federal government to prioritise investment in affordable housing schemes to ease pressure on the rental market.
In July, real estate stakeholders had raised the alarm over the rising cost of land and construction materials, which they said was worsening Nigeria’s housing deficit and pushing rents beyond the reach of low and middle-income earners.
Akiba insisted that without government intervention, the current situation could degenerate into a deeper social and economic crisis.
“The dream of owning or even maintaining a decent home is becoming impossible for ordinary Nigerians. This must not continue,” he said.
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