By Reporters

Tenants in Osogbo, Osun, have decried what they described as exploitative hikes by landlords in the state and called for urgent government intervention.

A cross section of the tenants, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Osogbo, said that “landlords were making life unbearable for them due to hike in rent”.

They called on the state government to, urgently, implement a law that would guide house rent in the state.

A tenant, Mr Emmanuel Ayanda, who resided in Osogbo, said that his landlord recently increased his house rent from N180,000 to N400,00 for a three-bedroom flat, not minding his source of income.

“A few months to the expiry of my rent, the landlord through his lawyer, sent me a letter that rent has increased from N180,000 to N400,000, without any justification.

“The building is very old, without tiles and with old wooden doors, but since I cannot afford the said amount, I have to pack out,” he said.

Ayanda, however, appealed to the state government to rescue tenants by setting up a taskforce to control rent in the state.

Another resident, Miss Feyisayo Akomolafe, who lives in Ogoluwa in Osogbo, said that her rent was increased from N450,000 to N600,000 a year for a two-bedroom apartment.

According to Akomolafe, the way landlords are increasing rent without any form of control may result in a situation where many tenants might become homeless, if nothing is done urgently.

“This is a civil service state and not an industrialised state.

“I wonder where the landlords expect civil servants, who are still struggling for survival, to get money to pay for this exorbitant house rent,” she said.

Also, Mr Jeremiah Obeh, who resides in Ofatedo, Osogbo, said that he rented a three-bedroom apartment for N900,000 per annum.

Obeh, however, said that his landlord recently added N200,000 to the rent to make N1.1 million per annum.

He appealed to the state government to make a law that would regulate the activities of the landlords and their agents.

Also residing in Ofatedo, Miss Glory Adeola said that a one-room self-contained apartment she rented was recently increased from N250,000 to N320,000.

Adeola lamented the “arbitrary increase by landlords without any tangible reasons”.

However, some of the landlords who spoke with NAN, gave reasons
for the exorbitant hike in the state.

Mr Peter Osinubi, a landlord, said that the increase in house rents was a result of the current economic situation.

“I feel the government is in the best position to do something about it,” he said.

Another landlord, Mr Oladele Bode, however, said the tenants could direct their complaints to the government, who was responsible for the rising costs of items in the country.

Mr Abiodun Olowoporokun, Chairman, Association of Real Estate Managers in Osun, however, attributed the hike in rent rates to the insatiable appetite of some greedy landlords in the state.

Olowoporokun said that several efforts had been made to prevail on landlords to stop the unnecessary exorbitant hike, but to no avail.

“Once an estate agent tries to convince a landlord not to put too much on the rent, they will abandon such an agent and go for another one that can do their bidding,” he said.

Olowoporokun said that the reasons given by landlords for the exorbitant hike was current inflation in the country.

According to him, the state government is working on a bill to regularise house rent in the state.

“Once the bill is out, it will help to checkmate the activities of the greedy landlords,” he said.

Similarly, Mr Kofoworola Adewunmi, Majority Leader, state House of Assembly, said that the “Osun State Estate Agency Regulatory Authority Bill 2024” had already been passed.

According to him, the bill seeks to ensure that tenants are not exploited by landlords and estate agents, and it has been passed by the assembly.

“The bill is seeking to control the abnormal charges by the agents and the landlords.

“I sponsored the bill. It has passed through the third reading and has been sent to the governor for his assent.

“Once the bill is signed into law, it will regulate the charges and percentage taken by the house agents.

“It will not give room for any unregistered house agents to operate. It will be mandatory for estate agents to register before they can operate in the state,” he said. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Victor Adeoti/Ayodeji Alabi