The House of Representatives has moved to check arbitrary rent hikes across Nigeria, proposing that rent increases should not exceed 20% of the current rate, regardless of improvements or other factors.
This followed a motion by Hon. Bassey Akiba, representing Calabar Municipality/Odukpani Federal Constituency, on the need to regulate rent increases and protect tenants from exploitation.
The House urged the Federal Government to invest in affordable housing and expand access to low-cost homes to ease pressure on the rental market.
In a related development, lawmakers also passed a resolution directing the Inspector General of Police and the Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to ensure all officers at checkpoints wear full uniforms and proper identification. They noted that operating in plain clothes compromises accountability and breaches standard security practices.
Meanwhile, in Lagos, the State House of Assembly had earlier called for the strict enforcement of the 2015 Tenancy Law to curb excessive rent increases. The lawmakers urged the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice to implement the law fully and tasked the Commissioner for Information, Gbenga Omotoso, with intensifying public awareness on tenants’ rights.
The motion, moved by Sa’ad Olumoh, cited Section 37 of the Tenancy Law, which prohibits unreasonable rent hikes and offers tenants legal protection against exploitation.
