The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Youth Initiatives (Monitoring and Delivery), Titilope Gbadamosi, has raised concerns over the rising cost of house rents across Nigeria, highlighting the lack of regulation and notice for such hikes.
In a post shared on her 𝕏 handle on Wednesday morning, Gbadamosi revealed how her landlady increased her rent by ₦1 million without prior notice.
The rent hike, which was communicated only at the point of renewal, left Gbadamosi frustrated and without any warning.
Her statement came in response to a tweet by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s Senior Special Assistant on New Media, Jubril Gawat, who had disclosed that the Lagos House of Assembly would soon introduce a bill addressing tenancy laws. Gawat’s tweet was prompted by the introduction of a new Landlord/Tenancy Bill in Enugu State, which was sponsored by Anthony Okey Mbah, a lawmaker from Nkanu East.
Gawat wrote: “Lagos coming soon… A Very strong issue but must be well discussed and implemented, after deliberation by the Lagos House of Assembly.” In response, Gbadamosi expressed her frustration, stating: “Not just Lagos hopefully. I woke up to 1 Million Naira increment from my Landlady. I was notified at the point of rent renewal, no prior notice, nothing.”
Meanwhile, the Landlord and Tenant Law of Enugu State Bill, introduced on Tuesday, passed its first reading. The bill aims to address several key issues, including:
1. Requiring land agents or managers to be certified.
2. Imposing a 10% ceiling for both agency and legal fees, with the possibility of negotiating lower rates but never exceeding the 10% limit.
3. Prohibiting the practice of charging caution fees.
4. Defining a clear duration for rental notice periods.
5. Granting a government ministry or agency the authority to introduce further housing regulations in Enugu State.
