The House of Representatives has called for regulating arbitrary rent increases and protecting tenants from exploitation.
Consequently, the House urged the Federal Government to prioritise investing in affordable housing initiatives, ensure access to low-cost housing for citizens and reduce pressure on the rental market.
This followed the adoption of a motion, moved by Hon. Bassey Akiba (LP, Cross River), at plenary on Thursday.
Moving the motion, Akiba said housing has been universally accepted as the second most important basic need for human survival and an essential component of improving the quality of life for citizens.
He referenced the United Nations Habitat Agenda, which states that the provision of adequate housing that is safe, secure, accessible, affordable, and sanitary is a fundamental human right.
The lawmaker insisted that housing is crucial for national development and an essential source of capital formation, employment generation and income production.
He expressed concern that the challenging economic climate is detrimental to individuals, households and businesses, especially for those living in rental accommodations who are now grappling with escalating rents.
“There is often a sudden surge in rent in areas after public infrastructure such as roads, markets, or other amenities are constructed. This is evident in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), where rent in areas with newly constructed roads has skyrocketed from ₦800,000 to as high as ₦2.5 million per annum, placing an unbearable financial burden on tenants.
“The wanton exploitation by property owners undermines the government’s intention to improve citizens’ welfare through public infrastructure projects and drives Nigerians into hardship, forcing some to resort to crime to meet inflated demands,” Akiba said.
He called for the urgent need to balance property owners’ rights with tenants’ welfare to ensure fairness, stability, and sustainability in the housing sector.
Adopting the motion, the House urged the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development to collaborate with State Governments to enforce rent control measures, ensuring that public infrastructure projects do not lead to exploitative rent hikes, and cap rent increases at no more than 20% of the existing rent, irrespective of infrastructure improvements or other factors.
