Kogi Assembly moves to regulate rents

Following the rising housing costs, due to arbitrary accommodation and excessive agency charges, the Kogi State House of Assembly is advancing legislation to regulate tenancy arrangements.

The proposed Kogi State Tenancy Law 2025 will require estate agents operating in the state to register with the Kogi Ministry of Housing and introduce safeguards for both landlords and tenants.

Lawmakers representing Ankpa 1 State Constituency, Akus Lawal, disclosed this during a public hearing report on the bill.

The legislation seeks to address the multiple charges tenants often pay when securing accommodation.

Lawal said some tenants currently pay between 15 percent and 20 percent in agency fees, caution fees and other related charges.

Under the proposed framework, these charges would be consolidated into a single-use fee of less than five per cent, potentially reducing the upfront cost of renting a home in the state.

The proposal would represent a significant reduction for tenants who currently face several charges on top of annual rent when securing accommodation.

The proposed law would require all estate agents operating in Kogi to register through the state Ministry of Housing.

Lawal said the registration system would help the government identify genuine property agents, regulate their activities and improve security within the property sector.

The measure could also provide a clearer framework for accountability where disputes arise between tenants, landlords and agents.

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For the property market, formal registration could help reduce the activities of unregulated operators and improve transparency in rental transactions.

The proposed legislation would also place restrictions on arbitrary increases in rent.

Lawal said landlords would not be permitted to increase rents without justification, particularly where there has been no corresponding improvement or renovation of the property.

The provision seeks to establish greater predictability for tenants while preserving landlords’ ability to adjust rents where legitimate improvements or other justifiable circumstances warrant an increase.

The bill is not designed solely around tenant protection.

Lawmakers also want to address cases where tenants deliberately damage rental properties or refuse to vacate after the expiration of their tenancy agreements.

Under the proposal, tenants found to have deliberately damaged properties could be required to restore them to an acceptable condition before leaving, subject to verification by the landlord.

The legislation also proposes fines and possible imprisonment for tenants found culpable of deliberate property destruction.

The approach reflects the Assembly’s stated objective of creating a more balanced legal relationship between landlords and tenants.