Some residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have expressed concern over the persistent increase in house rents, calling on the government to introduce policies to regulate prices.
The residents, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja, described the situation as outrageous and beyond the reach of average income earners.
They said that a self-contained apartment currently costs up to N2 million, while a one-bedroom flat ranges between N2.5 million and N3 million depending on location.
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Mrs Victoria Olabisi, a public servant residing in FO1, Kubwa, said her rent increased from N1.8 million to N2.5 million at her last renewal.
Olabisi said that rising rent had worsened the cost-of-living burden on residents.
"I live in a two-bedroom flat in FO1, Kubwa. House rent in my area has become outrageous, with prices rising sharply in recent times.
"Currently, I pay N2.5 million compared to N1.8 million at my last renewal," she said.
She added that her salary alone could no longer sustain her living expenses, noting that many residents were relocating to the outskirts where rent was relatively cheaper.
"My salary alone is not sufficient to cover these costs, though being married helps ease the financial burden.
"Many residents are moving farther away from the city centre to areas with lower rent," she said.
Olabisi urged the government to regulate rent in the FCT to protect tenants.
A civil servant, Linus Musa said that the government should come up with legislation to regulate the housing sector with a view to tackling the incessant hike in rent as well as upward review of salaries of workers.
He said that some shylock-minded landlords are seriously causing pressure on families, adding that salaries of workers have been stagnant with inflation on a steady rise.
Musa noted that while most residents had been forced to relocate to satellite towns such as Kubwa, Gwagwalada and Mararaba, from the city centre, the situation remained unabated as rent in those areas equally went high.
He suggested the government reviews its housing policy with a view to providing accommodation for civil servants, while the legislature should come up with laws regulating rent and the entire housing sector.
Also speaking, Mr Akinola Akin-Adubi, a legal practitioner residing in Area 1, described the increase as "crazy and outrageous" after his rent rose from N400,000 to N800,000, representing a 100 per cent increase.
"I currently pay N800,000 for a self-contained apartment I previously rented for N400,000.
"It was initially increased to N1 million, but after negotiations it was reduced to N800,000," he said.
He said that additional charges such as agency and legal fees, caution fees and service charges had further increased the overall housing cost.
According to him, agency and legal fees now account for about 25 per cent of rent, bringing the total package for some self-contained apartments to about N1.8 million.
Akin-Adubi added that many residents now rely on alternative sources of income to meet housing expenses, while others have relocated farther from town to reduce costs.
Emmanuel Ijeh, a civil servant residing in Lokogoma area of Abuja, lamented that some landlords review their house rents by more than 75 per cent every two years regardless of the harrowing implication to their tenants.
"In the past four years, my landlord had reviewed our rent two times, a room and parlour apartment which I hitherto paid N350, 000 now goes for N1.5 million, yet our salary still remains the same within the period.
Vera Zephaniah, another resident who moved from Karu to Wuse II due to security concerns, said she now pays N2 million for a room self-contained apartment, nearly three times her previous rent. Zephaniah described the additional charges attached to rent as unjustifiable.
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"I don't think the fees tagged as agent charges and other payments are justified. Rent is already high and the cost of living is overwhelming.
"I wish there was a government body to regulate these prices," she said.
Reacting, Mr Pius Dikae, a landlord and army officer residing in Kubwa, attributed the development partly to greed among some landlords.
"I am a landlord myself, but increasing rent every year is not right. Some landlords are simply being greedy," he said.
Another landlord, Mr Adun Olalekan, blamed rising construction costs, inflation and pressure from estate agents for the increases.
"We all have to survive. The economy is difficult and the cost of building materials keeps increasing.
"Agents also pressure landlords to raise rents because they focus on their percentage," he said. (NAN)
