Many Nigerians in need of residential accommodation have lamented huge financial implications of securing shelter, saying estate agents have been milking them dry through excessive billings....Read Full Article >>➤
They said getting a befitting house has become a herculean task for them as agents exploit their conditions with exorbitant rates.
From Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, to Lagos, Oyo, Enugu, Osun, Rivers and to far Northern States, it has been litany of woes for tenants following alleged greedy nature of many agents who exploit their desperate need for a house with expensive rent and commissions.
The dream of many migrants who flock to these cities in search of opportunities have turned to nightmare as the housing markets in many cities of the country have become minefield where unsuspecting tenants fall victim to the deceitful tactics of housing agents who exploit their desperation.
Looking for accommodation has continued to be problematic for many residents as affordable homes are gradually becoming a mirage owing to its high cost when placed side by side with the building in question.
According to some tenants who shared their painful experiences in getting accommodation with The Point, the crisis includes an incredibly long period of hunting tainted with physical and mental stress of choosing between waterlogged estates, slums or a house unreasonably far from their workplace.
Most daunting of their tales is that there are many crooked agents who overbill them from the inspection of houses stage to final payment.
According to them, many agents and landlords are now cash cows in cities.
They also accused some landlords of aiding the alleged shady practices of their agents.
One of the many casualties of this housing debacle is Micheal Adeyemi, a resident of Lagos State, who recently moved into a single-bedroom apartment in the Yaba area. He disclosed that he paid a total sum of N450, 000.
“I just got a job in Lagos this January and I left Akure for Lagos. You can’t believe that I almost changed my mind about the job even after stressing to get accommodation just because the house agent asked me to pay almost half of the rent. We are even talking of an old building here and if it is not because it is close to my organisation, I wouldn’t have lived in such a house. The agent refused to take me to the house until I paid him the sum of N5, 000.
“After inspecting the room and parlour, I was told my yearly payment is N250, 000 but I would have to pay the agent N100, 000, pay another N100, 000 as agreement fee and a sum of N50, 000 as caution fee. I was shattered because I couldn’t believe it. I had no choice because it was already time I was to resume the job. I practically begged the agent before he collected the sum of N450, 000 from me.
“I can say it anywhere that Lagos estate agents are the problem. Some people are living in Oshodi Under Bridge and other slums. This is just the one I could manage because I had already spent over N20, 000 to agents who had been taking me around houses that are not befitting for humans to live.
“The Lagos State Government should look into this matter because it is becoming too much and life is now unbearable,” he said.
A resident of Port-Harcourt, Rivers State, Suzzzy Mmesomma, also decried exorbitant rents in the state and sharp practices of some caretakers and agents.
Sharing her unpleasant experience with Rivers State housing agents, Mmesomma disclosed that the agent abandoned her to her fate after promising to fix the leaking roof of the two-bedroom apartment she got.
“When my agent had finished collecting the sum of N1.2million from me as a total package for a two bedroom apartment, I discovered that the roof in the kitchen was leaking and I phoned the agent, he promised to fix it. Till date, he has stopped picking my calls since last year. I had to spend out of my lean purse to fix it notwithstanding that he got so much money from me,” she told The Point.
Findings revealed that many landlords have been increasing their rents amid worsening hardship in the country.
Some Nigerians bemoaned the rent hike, describing it as exploitative.
Ufikaro Ebere, a resident of Enugu State, explained that the landlord of the three bedroom flat that her friend and her family are staying has just increased their rent from N800,000 to N1.2million “with no good reason,” adding that a room self-contain without kitchen inside, is now N400,000.
Most hit in this ugly trend are students of tertiary institutions who are living outside their campuses as their rents have been on the high side.
A student of the Osun State University, Osogbo, simply identified as Bernard, said the least rent of a single room a student can get at Oke-Baale axis of the school environment is between N150, 000 and N250, 000. He added that other self-contained apartments in new buildings cost nothing less than N300, 000.
“We are facing accommodation challenges on campus and the institution management is not doing anything about it. Those of us who rented rooms in old buildings pay between N150, 000 and N250, 000 per annum and we consider this very high for our parents who struggle to pay our school fees. Our landlords don’t care and still, they come with regulations that we should not crowd the room. There is no way they can expect us to pay that much and won’t allow us to be more than one in a room,” the undergraduate said.
Shops are not left out in the rising cost of rents. The situation has been sending small business owners out of business, as others are discouraged from starting.
Otegbalor Orezimena is a fresh graduate in Asaba, Delta State, who had wanted to venture into the cake baking business and needed a shop. Sadly, she could not proceed with the business idea because of the unaffordability of rent.
“Skyrocketing rent is one of the reasons I got discouraged from renting a shop for my cake business. The estate agent asked me to pay him N100,000 and that I will register with the sum of N5,000 before getting a shop that should ordinarily go for N50,00p in that area. The agent also said that I will have to buy drinks for the landlord after the rent might have been paid. I gave up on my dream of owning a shop,” she lamented.
An undergraduate in Calabar, Cross River State, Nana Aisha said, “Here in Calabar, house rent is the worst. I packed into the house I am currently staying in February last year after paying the sum of N280, 000. After about seven months, precisely in October last year, it was increased to N350, 000; just two weeks ago, I got a message from my agent that it is now N400, 000. I was shocked because all these increments are under one year. May God help all the students.”
A human rights defender based in Asaba, Harrison Gwamnishu, also corroborated the claims that agents and landlords have been nightmares for tenants.
He argued that if the daunting challenge is not checked, Nigerians, especially civil servants and students may find it difficult to pay their rents.
“By this time next year, civil servants and students will not be able to pay for house rent. I don’t know if these agents and landlords are into some secret stuff. House rent in Asaba is becoming something else,” he said.
Nigerians have therefore called on the federal and state governments to address the housing crisis in the nation by ensuring that costs of building materials are affordable.
They also urged the National and State Houses of Assembly to enact laws that will guide the activities of land owners and agents in order to prevent the real estate market from being infiltrated by scammers who operate in the name of real estate agents.
According to them, lack of regulations governing the housing market in the country has made it easy for these agents to operate with impunity, leaving tenants with little recourse when they are victimised.
Some real estate experts have suggested formulation of policies that would tackle impersonation in the property management and development business, saying if the challenge is not tackled; many Nigerians may not afford rents in years to come.
An experienced realtor based in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Lawrita Agbor, told The Point that, “obnoxious activities of some agents can easily be controlled through policies and laws. There should be regulations. It is true that some who operate as agents are not actually real ones. They extort renters and if they should be allowed to continue with their illegalities, ordinary Nigerians like civil servants and students may not afford rents as from next year because if you watch the trend, it is worsening.”
It’s true some of us are greedy but most tenants impersonate us — Agents
Meanwhile, some practicing agents have said they have been getting complaints about the exorbitant fees being charged by some people who operate as agents, saying the “profession’’ is now an all-comers affair and there is little or no accountability or regulation.
An agent in Osogbo, capital of Osun State, Abdujelili Babatunde, also blamed some greedy landlords and tenants who act as agents for the challenge.
He explained that, “I want to agree that some of us are too greedy. But, all the people that parade themselves as agents are not actually real agents. Those who serve as middlemen also collect money from renters. In fact, I know of some students in Osogbo who have graduated from university but have refused to leave these hostels. What they do is to rent rooms from us, then re-allot them to other students at ridiculously higher rates.
“Recently, I gave out a room for N30, 000 and collected my agent fee of N5, 000. I was shocked to discover that the guy, who got the room from me, sold it out to another renter at the rate of N80, 000. This is because there is no regulation even though we have up to about four associations of estate agents. Some landlords will still force agents to give them from their agency fees after getting their due rents. So, these are some of the problems.”
When asked what should be the fair agency fee that an agent should demand from someone seeking rent, he said, “For instance, if it is a house of N100, 000, an agent should not take beyond N15, 000 and agreement fee of N5, 000.”
The Point learnt that the Osun State House of Assembly has passed a bill that tends to safeguard, regulate and halt sharp practices of landlords and house agents against tenants among other related issues. The bill is awaiting the assent of Governor Ademola Adeleke.
National statistics show that Nigeria faces a housing deficit of approximately 28 million units, with experts predicting a need for 700,000 new homes annually. With the growing urbanisation, these deficits are most pronounced in the major cities, where access to affordable homes becomes increasingly limited, pushing the poor into slums and informal settlements.
The World Bank has said Nigeria’s urban population is expected to grow by over 200 million by 2050. Pundits have described this revelation as a potential social crisis as the nation struggles with an alarming shortage of affordable homes. ...Read Full Article >>➤
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