Lagos Assembly moves to stop landlords from excessive rent hikes

By Lateef Ibrahim

The Lagos State House of Assembly has urged the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice to enforce the Tenancy Law of 2015 in response to the growing issue of illegal and excessive rent increases by landlords across the state.

This resolution was passed during a plenary session yesterday, following a motion introduced by Hon. Sa’ad Olumoh, who highlighted the need to address the escalating trend of arbitrary rent hikes.

Olumoh referenced Section 37 of the Tenancy Law, which prohibits unreasonable rent increases and offers tenants legal avenues to challenge such actions in court. He warned that the unchecked rise in rent prices was contributing to the increasing number of homeless individuals in the state.

Supporting the motion, Hon. Desmond Elliot pointed out that rents in his Surulere I constituency had surged by 100 to 200 percent. While he acknowledged the impact of infrastructural development, he argued that it should not justify arbitrary rent hikes. Elliot also called for a review of the two-year tenancy agreement term and a re-evaluation of agency and legal fees.

Hon. Aro Moshood expressed concern over landlords’ disregard for tenants’ income levels and criticised evictions conducted without following legal procedures. “Many people earning minimum wage can’t even afford a room,” he said.

Hon. Shabi Adebola urged the government to expand low-cost housing options to mitigate the impact on vulnerable groups.

In his ruling, Speaker Mudashiru Obasa stressed the importance of a wider discussion, which should include the rising cost of building materials. He directed the House Committee on Housing, chaired by Hon. Ege Olusegun, to convene a meeting with relevant stakeholders and agencies to explore sustainable solutions.

The House also resolved to involve the Commissioner for Information and Strategy in raising public awareness about the Tenancy Law’s provisions.

In a separate development, the House passed a bill for the third time to establish the Lateef Jakande Leadership Academy. The Speaker then instructed the acting clerk, Mr Abubakar Ottun, to forward the final version of the bill to the governor for assent.