Why Enugu Rent Control Law Is Not Effective – Landlords

Although the Enugu State House of Assembly passed the Landlord and Tenant Amendment Bill into law in 2008, landlords in the state have continued to increase their rents.

The then speaker of the state House of Assembly, Mr. Eugene Odo, had explained that the amended bill was in line with the present economic reality in Nigeria.

“The law will help to reduce the controversy between the landlord and the tenant in areas such as rent review, rent payment and forceful ejection,’’ he said.
Surprisingly, the purpose of the law appears to have been defeated as landlords have continued to eject tenants that could not afford outrageous rent increase.

LEADERSHIP Findings revealed that the rent for a one-bedroom flat in Enugu town has risen to N400,000 while a three-bedroom flat is currently N700,000.

Some landlords who spoke to our correspondent attributed the trend in Enugu to high cost of building materials and living conditions.

One of the landlords at New Layout, Enugu, Mr Darlington Mbaeri, said the house which he built in 1999 is his only source of income.

“You are telling me that there is a law on regulation of rent by the government but my reply is that government did not build the house for me; do you know how much I use to maintain my house, the government should build houses and reduce the cost of rent,” he said.
But, another landlord, Mr Obioma Igbokwe, attributed the high cost of rent to the activities of lawyers and house agents.