The House of Representatives has slammed the rising wave of arbitrary rent hikes across Nigeria, insisting that no increment should exceed 20 per cent of the existing rate—no matter the reason, including infrastructure upgrades.
The resolution followed a motion moved by Hon. Bassey Akiba (Calabar Municipality/Odukpani), titled “Need to Regulate Arbitrary Rent Increase and Protect Tenants from Exploitation.”
Lawmakers urged the Federal Government to ramp up investment in affordable housing projects to ease pressure on the rental market and improve access to low-cost homes for citizens.
In a separate resolution, the House directed the Inspector-General of Police and the Commandant-General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to ensure that all officers at checkpoints who operate in plain clothes are properly identified, citing global best practices and accountability concerns.
The News Chronicle recalled that the Lagos State House of Assembly had earlier taken a similar stance. In April, it directed the state’s Attorney-General to fully enforce the Lagos State Tenancy Law of 2015, which prohibits excessive rent increases.
The motion’s sponsor, Hon. Sa’ad Olumoh, said the frequent and unjustified rent hikes in Lagos were worsening the state’s housing crisis. He cited Section 37 of the law, which empowers tenants to seek redress against exploitation.
