As the cost of accommodation continues to rise across Nigeria, many workers are increasingly struggling to keep a roof over their heads, with some forced to share apartments, live far from their workplaces or even turn their offices and business premises into makeshift homes.
The worsening housing crisis has left many Nigerians caught between soaring rents, expensive transportation and stagnant incomes, making decent shelter increasingly unaffordable for low- and middle-income earners.
For some workers, the situation has become so severe that they now sleep in their offices to avoid the daily financial burden of commuting from distant locations where accommodation is relatively cheaper.
Others have been forced to relocate to the outskirts of major cities, particularly Lagos, where rents are comparatively lower but transportation costs can consume a significant portion of their monthly earnings.
Beyond the rising cost of accommodation, prospective tenants also face a range of challenges, including discriminatory rental practices, excessive fees and demands from landlords and estate agents.
In some cases, house seekers are subjected to restrictions based on ethnicity, religion and marital status, while landlords increasingly impose conditions that further narrow access to available accommodation.
The situation has been compounded by persistent inflation, rising transport fares and limited wage growth, leaving many Nigerians with little money to meet other basic needs after paying their rent.
Calls for regulation
Amid the growing concerns, an aspiring Lagos State lawmaker, Ayo Adio, has called for urgent reforms to regulate the rental market and protect tenants from exploitative practices.
Adio said the Lagos State Government and other relevant authorities needed to address what he described as glaring gaps in the housing sector, particularly arbitrary rent increases.
He proposed that rent increases for existing tenants should be tied to the inflation rate published by the National Bureau of Statistics, NBS.
“We need to benchmark, especially for people already occupying properties in Lagos and other cities. We need to cap, first of all, the rate at which rents increase,” he said.
According to him, landlords should not be allowed to impose exorbitant increases on existing tenants, noting that some tenants are confronted with rent hikes of 200 or 300 per cent.
“So, if you’re already in a property, your landlord should not be able to raise your rent by the ridiculous 200 or 300 per cent that we see every day. It shouldn’t happen,” Adio said.
He suggested that rent increases should not exceed the prevailing inflation rate and should not be imposed more than once within three years.
“The best the law should do over the next four years is tie rent increases to the inflation rate as published by the NBS. If inflation is 15 per cent, no rent should increase by more than 15 per cent. More importantly, rent should not be increased more than once within three years,” he said.
Agency, legal fees under scrutiny
Adio also criticised the high agency and legal fees imposed on prospective tenants, arguing that tenants should not bear the cost of services they did not engage.
“In many cases, the tenant has no business paying agency fees. It is the person who engages an agent that should pay the agent,” he said.
He argued that the practice whereby landlords engage estate agents and subsequently transfer the cost to tenants should be discontinued.
“The same applies to legal fees. That should not continue,” he added.
Adio called for agency and legal fees to be capped at five per cent, saying such a measure would reduce the financial burden on house seekers.
“Agency fees and legal fees should not exceed five per cent. We must cap them at five per cent without wasting any time,” he said.
He also condemned the widespread practice of landlords demanding more than one year’s rent from prospective tenants, urging authorities to enforce existing tenancy regulations and ensure that renters are adequately protected.
With housing costs continuing to rise faster than the incomes of many workers, the growing number of Nigerians unable to afford decent accommodation underscores the need for stronger regulation, increased housing supply and policies that make affordable housing accessible to ordinary citizens.
Credit: Punch
