Abuja tenants lament rising cost of rents

By Hauwa Yakubu, Ifeoluwa Omosebe, Blessing Johnson, Mariam Ihezie & Fariha Lawal

Tenants in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have lamented the rising cost of accommodation, blaming inflation, increasing construction costs and alleged excessive charges by property agents for the growing housing burden.

Residents who spoke to Abuja Metro said rents had increased significantly in recent years, with additional costs such as agency and agreement fees, caution fees, electricity, water and transportation further straining their incomes.

Matthew Mike, a resident of Gwarinpa, said he paid N2.3 million as a total package for a studio apartment, describing the amount as almost four times what was obtainable two to three years ago.

“The biggest issues are the greedy agents,” he said.

He said the financial burden did not end with rent, as agency and agreement fees, caution fees, electricity and water charges had added significantly to the cost of securing and maintaining accommodation.

“Beyond rent, everything you mentioned is not only worse but after my life. It is ridiculously expensive and income is nothing to write home about,” he said.

Another resident, Philip Ngbewe, said he paid about N2 million in rent alone for his current accommodation, excluding other charges.

He said a similar property could have been obtained for considerably less two to three years ago.

“About two to three years ago, I could get a similar place for much less, but now things are hard,” he said.

According to him, agency fees, electricity and water bills had further squeezed household incomes.

He said although accommodation was relatively cheaper in areas farther from the city centre, residents often had to spend more on transportation.

“Transport costs are higher, but the rent is more manageable in far areas outside the city centre,” he said.

The situation, he noted, had left many residents weighing the cost of paying higher rent closer to their workplaces against spending more on transportation from cheaper communities.

The Gwarinpa resident also said relocating to distant areas could expose tenants to security and transportation challenges.

“Going back to farther distances is risky, so I do everything legally possible to keep up with paying the bills,” he said.

He blamed the situation largely on what he described as greed on the part of agents, and called for stronger regulation of property agents.

He called for a cap on estate-agent commissions, an end to repeated inspection and “finders’ fees”, mandatory registration of agents, and sanctions against those who impose charges above approved limits.

However, some residents attributed the rising cost of accommodation primarily to the state of the economy rather than the activities of landlords and agents.

Philip Ngenne said the increasing cost of construction and other household expenses had made it difficult for property owners to maintain previous rental rates.

According to him, constructing a one-bedroom apartment in some parts of Abuja could cost as much as N10 million, while landlords also had personal obligations, including school fees and family upkeep.

He said the broader cost-of-living crisis had also affected essential services such as healthcare, making it increasingly difficult for families to meet basic needs.

Another resident, Matthew Caleb, blamed the increase on the rising cost of building materials, goods and services.

“It is the economy that is causing the increase because the country is facing many challenges. The cost of everything has increased, so people adjust their prices accordingly,” he said.

On his part, Usman Yahaya said the rising cost of rent and other household expenses was not primarily the fault of landlords or agents, but a consequence of the country’s economic challenges.

He said both tenants and landlords were struggling to cope with inflation and increasing expenses.

Tenants seek regulation against arbitrary increase

Meanwhile, some residents have called for stronger regulation of property agents to help moderate rents and additional charges.

Khalid Nuhu said tighter monitoring of estate agents could reduce the pressure on tenants.

“Once they are being monitored, I think the house rents in Abuja will reduce a little bit,” he said.

He called for an association or regulatory body to monitor the activities of property agents.

“If we can have an association or organisation that can monitor these agents in order to regulate the skyrocketing rate of house rents in Abuja, it will be better,” he said.

Also speaking, Caleb Obi called for the regulation of property agents.

“I think we need to pay attention to the agents. The activities of agents need to be regulated,” he said.

What the law says

A legal practitioner, Aondongu Reuben Angi, said tenants had legal protection against arbitrary actions by landlords, including forcible eviction, but advised them to understand the terms of their tenancy agreements.

Angi said there was no general fixed limit on how frequently a landlord could review rent, noting that rental prices were affected by changing economic conditions.

“There is no limit per se to how often landlords can increase rent because the economy is not constant,” he said.

He, however, said landlords could not simply impose a new rent without complying with applicable notice requirements.

According to him, the appropriate notice period would depend on the circumstances, applicable law and the terms of the tenancy agreement.

Angi advised prospective tenants to carefully examine tenancy agreements before making payments.

“Once you are coming as a tenant, the right thing to do is, first of all, they should give you the agreement. You should go through it as a tenant. If you agree with all that is encapsulated in that agreement; then you make payments,” he said.

He said some landlord-tenant disputes arose because people desperate to secure accommodation accepted agreements without fully understanding their obligations.

The lawyer advised tenants who did not understand legal documents to seek professional assistance before signing tenancy agreements.

On additional charges, particularly statutory payments such as tenement rates, Angi said such obligations must have a legal basis where they were presented as taxes or statutory levies.

Referring to a provision of a Bwari Area Council bye-law, he said obligations relating to tenement rates could apply to occupiers and landlords in circumstances covered by the relevant legislation.

He, however, distinguished statutory charges from contractual payments contained in valid tenancy agreements, stressing that not every charge demanded by a landlord automatically became a statutory obligation simply because it was described as a tax or levy.

On eviction, Angi said landlords could not take the law into their own hands by forcibly removing tenants, even where a tenancy had expired.

He said landlords must follow the legally prescribed procedure for recovering possession and, where necessary, obtain an order from a court of competent jurisdiction.

According to him, tenants were entitled to peaceful possession and enjoyment of their rented premises during their lawful occupation.

He, however, noted that tenants also had responsibilities and could face legal consequences for breaching material terms of their tenancy agreements.

For instance, he said a tenant who sublets a property without the landlord’s consent where such consent was required could be liable under the law or the tenancy agreement.