Osogbo tenants cry out over “Exploitative” rent hikes, seek Govt intervention

Residents renting properties in Osogbo, the capital of Osun State, have voiced strong complaints against what they describe as exploitative and arbitrary increases in house rents by landlords, urging the state government to urgently intervene with regulatory measures.

A cross-section of tenants who spoke with the press on Monday in Osogbo lamented that the “landlords were making life unbearable for them due to hike in rent” and pleaded with the state government to enact a law to govern house rent within the state.

 “A few months to the expiry of my rent, the landlord through his lawyer, sent me a letter that rent has increased from N180,000 to N400,000, without any justification,” recounted Mr. Emmanuel Ayanda, a tenant in Osogbo.

Mr. Ayanda shared his experience of a drastic rent increase for his “very old” three-bedroom flat, devoid of modern features, from N180,000 to N400,000, forcing him to seek alternative accommodation.

He appealed to the state government to establish a task force to control rent in the state and protect tenants.

Similarly, Miss Feyisayo Akomolafe, residing in Ogoluwa, Osogbo, reported her rent for a two-bedroom apartment surging from N450,000 to N600,000 annually. She expressed concerns that the uncontrolled rent increases by landlords could lead to widespread homelessness in a predominantly civil service state like Osun.

“I wonder where the landlords expect civil servants, who are still struggling for survival, to get money to pay for this exorbitant house rent,” Akomolafe questioned.

Mr. Jeremiah Obeh, a resident of Ofatedo, Osogbo, also detailed a N200,000 increase on his N900,000 annual rent for a three-bedroom apartment, bringing it to N1.1 million.

Miss Glory Adeola, also from Ofatedo, reported a jump from N250,000 to N320,000 for her one-room self-contained apartment, decrying the “arbitrary increase by landlords without any tangible reasons.”

However, some landlords cited the current economic situation as the primary driver for the rent hikes, with one, Mr. Peter Osinubi, suggesting the government was best positioned to address the issue.

Another landlord, Mr. Oladele Bode, directed tenants to lodge their complaints with the government, blaming them for the rising cost of living.

Mr. Abiodun Olowoporoku, Chairman of the Association of Real Estate Managers in Osun, attributed the exorbitant rent increases to the “insatiable appetite of some greedy landlords” and lamented the ineffectiveness of attempts to dissuade them.

 “Once an estate agent tries to convince a landlord not to put too much on the rent, they will abandon such an agent and go for another one that can do their bid,” Olowoporokun explained.

ALSO READ : Kaduna women protest alleged KRPC chemical pollution, Demand action

Hope for regulation may be on the horizon, as Mr. Kofoworola Adewunmi, Majority Leader of the state House of Assembly, announced the passage of the “Osun State Estate Agency Regulatory Authority Bill 2024.”

He stated that the bill aims to protect tenants from exploitation by landlords and agents by regulating charges and ensuring the mandatory registration of estate agents operating in the state.

“Once the bill is signed into law, it will regulate the charges and percentage taken by the house agents. It will not give room for any unregistered house agents to operate,” Adewunmi assured.

The passed bill is currently awaiting the governor’s assent to become law, offering a potential solution to the escalating rent crisis faced by tenants in Osogbo and across Osun State.