Abuja Residents hail new landlord, tenant bill -

Residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), say the new landlord, tenancy Bill presently before the Senate, if passed into law, will revolutionise tenant/landlord relationship in Nigeria's capital

city. Read more after the cut.

It is also recalled that Senators recently passed for second reading, a Bill which makes it unlawful for any landlord in the FCT to demand and for any tenant to pay rent in advance in excess of one year. The Bill, if it eventually becomes law, will limit landlords to receive only six month's rent in advance from an old tenant.

The Bill sponsored by Sen. Smart Adeyemi (Kogi/PDP), is tagged: Recovery of Premises Cap 553 LFN, 1990 Act (Repeal and Re-enactment) Bill 2013 and seeks to repeal the Recovery of Premises Act, Cap 553 LFN 1990 and to re-enact the Recovery of Premises Act (Abuja), 2013 to regulate the relationship between landlords and tenants, rent control, recovery of premises and few other matters connected therewith.

"My little understanding is that the Bill will address the administration of arbitrary and prohibitive rents demanded by landlords. This is a welcome development and will greatly reduce the hardships faced by tenants in the FCT," Chika Ebube, told LEADERSHIP in Lokogoma.

Kayode Fowosola of Garki District stated, "I recall that Lagos has a similar law. So it will be very helpful if it can be replicated in Abuja. The city's tenants have suffered enough hardship in the hands of landlords and unscrupulous estate agents. This is also a wake-up call for the FCT authorities to make housing affordable and rents sustainable in the FCT through mass housing."

The Bill provides for a rent review mechanism which requires landlords to review their rents, not earlier than two years from the previous review.

Also, checks reveal that a self-contain room in the city centre goes for as high as N400,000, a one-bedroom (N750,000) and a two-bedroom goes between N1.2 to N1.5 million, respectively.

Efosa Igiebor of Gudu District, reiterated that government at every level must pursue a vigorous housing scheme. According to him, as long as there are deficiencies in housing schemes landlords and dubious estate agents will continue to cut corners.
The Bill was referred to the Senate Committees on the FCT and judiciary for further legislative action and to present its report in four weeks.

I think this Bill is a welcome development and the government should get involved in urban mass housing scheme which i believe will naturally bring down the house rent that in Abuja.