From Our Correspondent in Osogbo
Tenants in Osogbo, the capital of Osun State, have raised the alarm over what they describe as an exploitative and arbitrary hike in house rents by landlords, while urging the state government to intervene before the situation worsens.
A cross-section of residents decried the sudden increase in rents, which they say is worsening their living conditions and pushing many towards homelessness.
Mr Emmanuel Ayanda, a tenant in Osogbo, shared his ordeal after his landlord increased the rent on his three-bedroom apartment from ₦180,000 to ₦400,000 per annum without prior discussion or justification.
“A few months before the expiry of my rent, the landlord, through his lawyer, sent me a letter stating the new rent. The building is very old, no tiles, old wooden doors, yet he expects me to pay more than double. I can’t afford it, so I have to move out”, Ayanda lamented.
He appealed to the state government to establish a rent control task force to monitor and regulate rent increases across the state.
Miss Feyisayo Akomolafe, a resident of Ogoluwa in Osogbo, also bemoaned the rising cost of housing. According to her, the rent on her two-bedroom flat was raised from ₦450,000 to ₦600,000 annually, an increase she described as “unfair and insensitive”.
“This is a civil service state, not an industrialised one. Where do they expect us to get that kind of money from?” she asked.
In the Ofatedo area of Osogbo, Mr Jeremiah Obeh revealed that his rent for a three-bedroom flat was recently raised from ₦900,000 to ₦1.1m.
Similarly, Miss Glory Adeola noted that her self-contained apartment now costs ₦320,000, up from ₦250,000.
“These hikes are not based on any improvement in facilities. Landlords are just increasing rent without reason”, Adeola said.
Some landlords, however, justified the increases and cited inflation and rising costs of building materials.
Mr Peter Osinubi said the current economic situation has left landlords with little choice.
Another landlord, Mr Oladele Bode, insisted that the root of the problem lies with the government, not landlords.
But the Chairman of the Association of Real Estate Managers in Osun, Mr Abiodun Olowoporoku, blamed the trend on what he termed “the greed of some landlords”.
“We’ve made several efforts to dissuade landlords from arbitrary increases, but they simply sideline agents who advise moderation and engage those who do their bidding”, he said.
Olowoporoku, however, confirmed that the state government is already working on a bill to address the issue and regulate rent practices.
This was corroborated by the Majority Leader of the Osun State House of Assembly, Mr Kofoworola Adewunmi, who disclosed that the “Osun State Estate Agency Regulatory Authority Bill 2024” had been passed by the Assembly and is awaiting the governor’s assent.
“I sponsored the bill to protect tenants and regulate the activities of estate agents and landlords. Once signed into law, it will ensure all agents are registered and prevent the imposition of arbitrary charges”, Adewunmi stated.
