A rights group, the Centre for Human Rights Advocacy and Wholesome Society (CEHRAWS), has commended the Anambra State Government for proposing the Anambra Rent and Tenancy Law, describing it as a step towards addressing arbitrary rent increases, excessive agency fees, unlawful development levies and arbitrary evictions.
The group said the proposed legislation responds to the growing housing challenges confronting residents, particularly low-income earners, and has the potential to improve transparency, fairness and accountability in the state’s housing sector if properly drafted and effectively implemented.
Speaking with The News Chronicle in Awka, the Executive Director of CEHRAWS, Comrade Chuka Okoye, described the initiative as a welcome development but stressed that the proposed law must strike a careful balance between protecting tenants from exploitation and safeguarding the constitutional rights of property owners.
He acknowledged that government intervention to curb exploitative practices was justified but argued that rent regulation alone would not resolve the state’s housing challenges.
According to him, international best practices show that sustainable housing reforms combine tenant protection with policies that encourage private investment, expand affordable housing, improve access to mortgages and strengthen urban infrastructure.
Okoye said, “Section 43 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), guarantees every citizen the right to acquire and own immovable property, while Section 16(2)(d), though non-justiciable, places a constitutional responsibility on the state to pursue policies that ensure adequate shelter for its citizens. This obligation is further reinforced by Nigeria’s commitments under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, all of which recognise access to adequate housing as a fundamental human right.
“CEHRAWS strongly supports efforts to eliminate illegal and excessive charges imposed by some estate agents and unauthorised community groups. Professional service providers are entitled to reasonable fees, but exploitative charges that make access to housing unnecessarily difficult should have no place in a modern tenancy system.
“We also commend the government’s resolve to end arbitrary evictions. No tenant should be deprived of possession except through due process and in accordance with the law. Respect for lawful eviction procedures protects both tenants and landlords and strengthens public confidence in the justice system.”
Okoye urged the government to address the root causes of rising rents, particularly the acute shortage of affordable housing.
He warned that regulation without increasing housing supply could discourage investment and inadvertently worsen the housing crisis.
According to him, lasting reform requires increased public investment in affordable housing, incentives for responsible private developers and a transparent land administration system.
“CEHRAWS therefore calls on the Anambra State Government and the Anambra State House of Assembly to ensure that the proposed law emerges from broad stakeholder consultation and reflects constitutional guarantees, international human rights standards and global best practices.
“A fair tenancy regime is one that protects tenants from exploitation, respects the legitimate rights of landlords, encourages investment in housing and advances the collective goal of making decent and affordable housing accessible to every resident of Anambra State,” he said.
