Senate moves to regulate rents in FCT

Hard times await some landlords in Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja as Senate commences works on legislation to regulate rents from one or two years first payment by tenants, to three months and subsequent monthly payments.

The planned legislation is contained in a bill sponsored to that effect by Senator Smart Adeyemi (APC Kogi West) and passed first reading in Senate during plenary on Tuesday.

The proposed legislation is titled Advanced Rent (Residential Apartments, Office Spaces) Regulation Bill, 2022.

Explaining the intendment of the bill to journalists after plenary, Senator Adeyemi said it is targeted at cushioning the effect of outrageous tents on properties on poor residents in the Federal Capital Territory.

Senator Adeyemi, who spoke to journalists on details on the bill said it was important to begin to ensure that legislation should not just be to impose penalties on the people.

He said there was an urgent need to enact laws that could directly affect the lives of the individuals in such a manner that Nigerians would be able to have three square meals and have a roof over their heads.

According to him, the bill when fully considered and passed into law, will regulate rent collections from tenants to three months at first instance and subsequent monthly payments as against one, two or three years first payment being collected by property owners now with subsequent yearly rent payment renewal.

“Many residents of FCT are finding it very difficult to cope with huge rent payment, the reason why many of the Houses built for such purposes is empty.

“The law is targeted at welfare and wellbeing of the downtrodden, majority of whom elected those holding public positions into offices.

“Some landlords always insist their tenants pay for one year or two years rent, that is wrong. By this bill, Nigerians especially Abuja residents will now be paying rent on monthly basis after the expiration of the initial three months.

“The law we are proposing stipulates a maximum advanced rent payment of three months. After the expiration of the three months rent, the tenants are expected to pay monthly.

“There are many tenants whose salaries are competing with their rents because they live in cities like Abuja,” he explained.

When reminded of the scenario that played out in Lagos when Governor Marwa implemented similar law but with stiff resistance from landlords, Senator Adeyemi said the law being proposed will take care of such resistance by providing a window of petitioning for any tenants forced to pay rents above three months.

“Most Nigerians need the protection of the law to be able to meet their basic needs after paying rents.

“Many landlords did not secure loans to build their houses, they are products of free money they acquire from the system, yet they make lives difficult for poor Nigerians who do not have such privilege of making ill-gotten money from the system and put up structures,” he added.

The lawmaker further stressed that “There are families that have broken up because the man of the house could not pay the rent, and some have been pushed out because the landlord asked them to pay for two years.

“If people will have to manage with their spouse to pay, we should be able to put the law in place in such that nobody will be oppressed,” Senator Adeyemi explained.

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