•Residents groan over exorbitant house, shop rents, seek govt intervention
From Jude Chinedu, Enugu and Uchenna Inya, Abakaliki
The high cost of living in Nigeria seems to be gettingbeyond reach. Acrosstowns and cities of the region, residents complain of prohibitive rents chargedby landlords and property agents.
In the commercial city of Onitsha, Anambra State, three-bedroom apartment in an old building starts from N600,000 per annum, while new apartment starts fromN1million.
In Onitsha metropolis, many residents could no longer afforddecent accommodation for their families due to the continuous increase in houserents. Abuilder, Daniel Ezeh, blamed the greedy attitude of those acting as propertyagents as one of the major causes of high rents: “Theynormally increase rents above the stipulated amount placed by the landlords.”
A resident, Mrs Mary Orji, lamented that many families can no longerprovide other needs of their families as house rents hit the roof top. Shecalled on government at all levels to intervene.
Thestory was not different in Enugu, Enugu State, where residents decried sundry feesdemanded by landlords and agents. They descried the situation as frustratingand unbearable.
Chijioke Agbo, who lives in a modest two-room apartment with his family, saidhis rent was recently increased by N200,000: “Our landlord called a meeting (twodays ago) and announced that rent has gone up from N200,000 to N400,000. I’vebeen trying to find a new place, but the prices are just too high.”
Ambrose Edeani shared a similar experience disclosing that house hunting in Abakpa has become a nightmare due to the high cost of rent and endless chargesby agents: “A two-bedroom flat now goes for between N600,000 to N900,000.That’s if you’re lucky. Then agents ask for N200,000 agency fee, N200,000caution fee, another N200,000 for legal, and N200,000 for management.
“It’soverwhelming. You end up spending close to N2 million just to move in. We are all working hard but everything goes intorent. It’s like we’re making money just for landlords and their agents.”
In apparent response to these growing concerns, the Enugu State House of Assemblyrecently introduced a bill to regulate tenancy agreements and related charges. Titled, “A bill to amend the landlord and tenant law, CAP. 101, Laws ofEnugu State, 2024,” the legislation is aimed at curbing excesses bylandlords, agents and lawyers.
The bill, sponsored by Okey Mbah, proposes a cap on both agency and legal feesat 10 per cent of the annual rent and plans to abolish caution fees entirely.Offenders risk a fine of N500,000, six months imprisonment, or both.
Special Assistant to Governor Peter Mbah on Research and Publication, Joshua Ejeh, said: “Some landlordsput up their property for N700,000, but by the time agents, lawyers, and othersadd their charges, tenants end up paying over N3 million.
“The bill is to protect both tenants and landlords from middlemen who takeadvantage of the system. The proposed law also includes the certification of agents and propertymanagers, and the establishment of a government body to oversee tenancy mattersin the state.”
For now, residents like Agbo and Edeani are hopeful the bill will become lawsoon and bring the much-needed relief to tenants struggling under the weight ofrising rent and hidden charges.
In Ebonyi State, the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), recently raisedthe alarm over house and shops rent increments in the state. Atwo-bedroom flat in the state costs between N600,000 and N900,000 while athree-bedroom flat is between N800,000 and N1,200,000.
The union urged government to wade into the arbitrary increase in rentsby promulgating a law to regulate the activities of shylock landlords andproperty agents to ameliorate the sufferings of the residents.
It made its position known in the communique of its monthly congress at Dr.Sam Egwu Press Centre, Abakaliki, on March 20, 2025. Thecommunique was signed by its Chairman, SamsonNwafor, Secretary, Nnamdi Akpa and members of the communiquedrafting committee, Dr. Jeff Amechi Agbodo, Sunday Agbo and ChinweImo-Eze.
However,some landlords attributed the situation to the rising costs of buildingmaterials as almost everything is imported. Alandlord in Enugu, Chief Mathias Ezeh, supported the rent regulatory law but urged that every interest beproperly captured: “We are not against the rent control law but it should notjust be against the landlords. We’re all Nigerians and we are feeling the harsheconomy particularly the cost of building materials. So, the law shouldconsider every interest.”