Some residents of Nasarawa State have appealed to the state government to intervene in the arbitrary increase in house rent as the situation is becoming unbearable.
The residents, who spoke in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday, also called on government to make policies to regulate house rent as landlords were increasing rents at will.
One of the respondents, Mrs Loveth Ezurike, a public servant, said a two bedroom flat she used to pay N250, 000 in previous years had suddenly been increased to N350, 000 by her landlord.
Ezurike added that she could no longer bear it; coupled with other responsibilities and the present economy challenges in the country.
She, therefore, appealed to the government to intervene.
“I find it difficult to cope with the present situation with my children’s school fees to pay additional money even when I am still collecting the same salary without increments.
“This is the same situation other tenants are facing within the state if you carefully listening to peoples’ conversation; this is becoming too much on us.’’
According to her, some of the house owners just keep increasing the rent on yearly basis for no reason without any form of consideration for the tenants.
Ezurike, however, urged government to build low cost housing estates at affordable rates for people within the suburbs in the state.
“Most of us working in Abuja are living here in Karu villages and I believe with the current state of the economy, government can use it as an opportunity to build low cost Estates to enable low income earners afford it. “
She also appealed to the government to make policies that would put a stop to unnecessary increase in the rent by the landlords.
“Government should also implement a form of applicable rules for landlords; to regulate the way they increase their rents without even putting the house in order or making provisions for basic needs.
“This is because some of them just hike the cost of the house without maintenance and consideration of the occupants.
“They need to be put on check and only the government can help us do so to ascertain that these houses worth their costs and have the necessities, “she said.
Miss Mary Aboi, another resident, also said it was high time government checked on the services provided by some landlords before they increased their house rents.
According to her, it is the duty of house or shop agents to ensure the houses are in order every year before occupants renew their payments but unfortunately, not many of them do so.
“A lot of people pay too much for less value of what they receive from their house owners and would need the intervention of a higher authority to call the landlords to order, “she said.
Similarly, Mr Makama Musa, a business man, lamented such incessant increase in the rent by the house owners.
Mua said he paid N350, 000 naira for a one bedroom apartment annually, yet no form of maintenance was done by the landlord in the past three years.
“The current state of our economy is not helping; people are facing a lot; it is understandable if everyone wants to eat from their source of income.
“Landlords are complaining of how expensive building materials are to build a house, but they do not use the annual rent to work on dilapidated structures even after their occupants renew their rent.
“You see houses in bad conditions but with huge rent.
“You cannot keep collecting money and still expect the occupants to do maintenance in the house. This is so unfair to them.
“Unfortunately, this happens because no one is regulating these landlords; so they do whatever pleases them,” he said.
Musa said that government’s intervention would go a long way in addressing the plights of the people.
By Anita Uzoagba
