The introduction of a Bill for the Regulation of Advanced Rent on Residential Apartments and Office Spaces sponsored by Senator Smart Adeyemi (APC Kogi West) is no doubt a welcome development; however, KEHINDE OSASONA asks if it will curb high cost of housing in Abuja?
The high cost of housing in the nation’s capital, Abuja, has remained a source of concern to many Nigerians.
It is the same story from the highbrow areas of Maitama, Wuse II, and Asokoro to Nyanya and other less expensive areas like Dei-Dei, Gwagwalada, Madalla, Zuba and Suleja in neighbouring Niger state, as well as Mararaba, Masaka, to One-Man-Village in Nasarawa the tale of people seeking living accommodation and office complex are not much different.
For Adi Abraham, a resident of Kubwa, getting a rented apartment as a low income earner in Abuja was like seeking a ticket to paradise.
Abraham, who expressed worries over astronomical hike in rent in the nation’s capital city, complained that rent for residential houses and offices were becoming so unbearably high to the extent that a lot of residents were already contemplating getting transferred out of Abuja.
Similarly, for Isiaka Agunlejika, were it not for his company that transferred him to Abuja, he would have stayed back in Ibadan and enjoyed affordable housing without hassle.
According to him, Abuja landlords were merely fleecing residents of their hard-earned money with no one doing anything about it.
No doubt, like Abraham and Agunlejika most residents think housing in Abuja and FCT has become the hardest problem as they persistently lament about the high rate of housing in the capital city and its satellite towns.
Findings by Blueprint Weekend revealed that in spite of the fact that Abuja records influx of people on daily basis, the development has continued to create huge housing challenges without any solutions by successive administrations and housing stakeholders.
Speaking to our correspondent, a business operator in the city, Adesuwa Harod, said she coughed out N250,000 for a self-contained in Kubwa, an suburb of Abuja, which has now been increased to N280,000 per annum.
Also relating his experience another resident, Manuel Afariogun, said he got a three-bedroom apartment for N850,000 in 2021, however, the property owner has already informed him of an increment with an additional N50,000.
“Tell me, did I get additional income in my work place, was there a new addition or expansion to the house? No, I keep wondering and have been asking myself questions as to the justification to that effect.
“You know my conclusion, these landlords just wake up and the next thing they want to do is make life difficult for their tenants.
“I blame the government who did not have enduring plans and proper regulations in place. Perhaps they have forgotten that the capital city would witness an influx of people, especially workers when they were planning it,” Afariogun said.
In the same vein, a stakeholder in the housing business, Samuel Attavti, laid the blame on the doorstep of the government and landlords.
“Many landlords will tell you that the cost of building materials has soared and they must increase house rent to recoup money used in building the house.
“This thing has been happening for a long time and the government could not do anything, worse still, all these people listened everyday when the government promised heaven and earth to workers. Unfortunately, they won’t know that no serious step has been taken on minimum wage not to talk of enjoying any other benefit.
“On the way out, I think the government should legislate on housing matters with a view to reducing the challenges faced by residents and immigrants alike.”
Our correspondent’s checks further revealed most residents of the FCT have opted for accommodation in places like Nyanya, Kubwa, Lugbe, Kuje, among others in a bid to save cost.
Although accommodation ranging for as low as N300,000 to N350,000 per flat could be found in the suburbs, Blueprint Weekend scooped that some residents cannot afford them. This is as many residents still complain about the heavy traffic on the route and poor infrastructure.
In one of its surveys, Africahousingnews.com put rent for a two-bedroom bungalow in Maitama, Asokoro, Wuse and Garki at between N2.5 million and N3 million per annum.
Blueprint Weekend surveys also put the cost of the same apartment in the satellite towns of the FCT such as Karu, Lugbe and Kubwa among others, at between N750,000 and N1.5million per annum, which is way beyond reach of the average civil servant and businessmen.
Hope in sight?
As Abuja residents continue to gnash their teeth over their plights, it appears succour has come via the introduction of a Bill for the Regulation of Advanced Rent on Residential Apartments, Office Space sponsored by Senator Smart Adeyemi (Kogi West).
While introducing the Bill, Senator Adeyemi, from Kogi West Senatorial District, said if passed, it would make it an offence for any landlord to demand payment of advance rent from tenants.
According to him, the Bill was to cushion the effect of outrageous on tenants in the nation’s capital and to reduce advance payment of rents from one or two years by tenants to three months and subsequent monthly payments.
Blueprint reports that the Bill comes amidst complaints by Abuja residents of the high cost and mode of payment of rent.
Although details of the Bill have not been released, the sponsor said it would enable tenants to pay a maximum advance payment of three months’ rent, followed by subsequent monthly payment.
Adeyemi, who addressed journalists after plenary, said the legislation was borne out of the realization that landlords in the FCT compel tenants to pay one or two years advance rent payment before granting them keys to their apartments.
The law, he said, is targeted at welfare and wellbeing of the downtrodden, majority of who elected those holding public positions into offices.
In his words, the Bill will provide a window of petitioning for any tenants forced to pay rents above three months, he said.
He also said the Bill was important because Nigerians need the protection of the law to be able to meet their basic needs after paying rent.
Adeyemi stated, “Many residents of FCT are finding it very difficult to cope with huge rent payments, the reason why many of the houses built for such purposes are empty.
“Some landlords always insist their tenants pay for one year or two years rent. That is wrong. By this bill, Nigerians especially Abuja residents will now be paying rent on a monthly basis after the expiration of the initial three months.
“The law we are proposing stipulates a maximum advance rent payment of three months. After the expiration of the three months rent, the tenants are expected to pay monthly. There are many tenants whose salaries are competing with their rents because they live in cities like Abuja,” he explained.
“Many landlords did not secure loans to build their houses, they are products of free money they acquire from the system, yet they make lives difficult for poor Nigerians who do not have such privilege of making ill-gotten money from the system and put up structures.
“The buildings are constructed in such a manner that an average Nigerian would not be able to afford it. Many people are involved in corrupt practices to get their rents paid while the ladies took to prostitution.”
While supporting the Bill, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi (APC, Niger state), described the proposed law as people-centred and urged his colleagues to support its passage.
“There’s no gain saying that many residents in FCT are groaning under this difficult system where tenants are asked to pay house rent yearly in advance,” Abdullahi said.
Senators Ibrahim Gobir (Sokoto) and Bala Ibn Na’Allah (APC, Kebbi) also supported the Bill.
For Na’Allah, the system where tenants, many of whom receive meagre salaries, are forced to pay rent annually in advance encourages corruption.
“Where we operate a system that makes it difficult for people to survive, then we may not be able to fight corruption notwithstanding the resources deployed for the purpose,” he said.
However, Senator Chimaroke Nnamani (PDP, Enugu) opposed the Bill, saying rents are determined by market forces, like cost of acquiring land and building materials.
His position, however, did not stop the passage of the Bill as it scaled the second reading.
On his part, a concerned citizen, Akinsile Eric, has called on the government to regulate the cost of housing by establishing rent tribunals to checkmate any unscrupulous activities.
