- As Group Calls For Govt Intervention
BY JUMAI NWACHUKWU/ROSEMARY NWAOHA
Tenants in Asaba, the capital of Delta State, have expressed alarm over what they described as exorbitant and escalating rent hikes by landlords pushing them to their financial limits.
Speaking to The Pointer, some of the tenants shared their frustrations, highlighting how the rent hikes are placing an unbearable financial burden on them despite the economic challenges in the country.
According to one of the residents, Mr. Chuka Okoro, “My rent was increased by almost 50 per cent within a year, and it’s becoming impossible to manage. We are barely surviving, and now we have to worry about paying rent that is constantly going up. The government needs to step in before we are all priced out of our homes.”
Similarly, Mrs. Amaka Eze, who resides in the Anwai axis of the state capital, expressed her disappointment in the lack of regulation in the housing sector. “There appears to be no control, no checks on what landlords can do.
‘’School fees are another burden on the parents and yet landlords keep frustrating us with outrageous rent increments without considering the state of the economy. The government must do something to protect tenants from these arbitrary increases”, he said.
Speaking with one of the landlords Mr Rufus Chiadika, in Okpanam, he argued that the increases were necessary due to rising costs of property maintenance, inflation, and increased demand for housing in Asaba, which has seen significant growth in recent years.
“We are not raising rents to make life difficult for tenants. The cost of everything has gone up – from building materials to security and utilities. We have to adjust the rent to keep up with these costs”, he said
The tenants insisted that the hikes were far beyond what can be justified by economic conditions alone. Many are calling for the government to introduce rent control measures or provide alternative housing solutions to ease the burden.
Meanwhile, the Online Media Practitioners Association of Nigeria (OMPAN), Delta State Chapter, has condemned the arbitrary rent increments imposed by landlords in Asaba. According to them, ‘’the people of Asaba deserve better than it is getting by these greedy landlords, hence It’s time for a change, and it’s time for the authorities to take action’’
OMPAN noted that the situation has become so dire that tenants are being forced to pay exorbitant rents, leaving them with little or nothing to cater to their other needs.
They called on the state government and relevant authorities to take immediate action to check the excesses of these landlords and ensure they are held accountable for their actions.
