Tenants in Southeast Nigeria Decry Soaring Rental Prices

People in the Southeast region of Nigeria are feeling increasingly overburdened by the rising cost of housing; many have called the situation oppressive and oppressive.

Tenants from big cities and small towns claim they are feeling desperate and financially burdened due to the constant increase in rent prices.

Tenants in key towns like Enugu, Awka, Onitsha, Umuahia, and Aba are complaining about the steep rise in annual rent costs. Some landlords are now asking for up to two or three years’ rent up front.

In Awka, the capital of Anambra State, a three-bedroom apartment that used to cost between ₦450,000 and ₦800,000 per year can now cost up to ₦1.5 million in some places.

Similar trends are reported by inhabitants of Enugu and Abia States, where a two-bedroom apartment that used to cost ₦300,000 now sells for over ₦700,000.

“The ordinary wage earner can no longer afford the rent. A teacher in Onitsha named Chinyere Ndukwe stated, “You have two options: either you get a house in a far-off village or you just go back to your father’s compound.”

Tenants contend that the increases are capricious and frequently predatory, while landlords and real estate brokers have blamed the rent rise on inflation, the overall economic crisis, and the growing cost of building materials.

Inflation is no longer a factor. Some landlords simply have avarice. “They raise the rent every year, but they don’t improve anything or renovate the houses,” another Umuahia tenant said.

Additionally, agents have been criticized for inflating rates and demanding exorbitant commissions and legal fees, which can sometimes match or surpass the rent.

Many families are currently experiencing financial difficulties, high unemployment, and stagnant income, which is compounded by the rising cost of housing. Students, traders, artisans, and civil servants are among those most impacted.

Nigeria has a housing shortage of more than 28 million units, and the Southeast region is a major contributor to that number, according to real estate experts.

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A seller’s market that greatly benefits landlords has resulted from the low supply of reasonably priced homes, which has maintained demand high.

Some state governments have responded by introducing measures to restrict rent, especially in Enugu. The state assembly is now debating a plan that would limit rent hikes and shield renters from evictions without warning.

Urgent measures are also needed to stop the problem, according to the Real Estate Developers Association of Nigeria (REDAN). The group is promoting tax breaks for developers, subsidized building supplies, and increased funding for affordable homes.

Many Southeast residents say the pain of skyrocketing rents won’t go away anytime soon unless state governments, through their various Houses of Assembly, take serious and intentional action. They hope for quick and long-lasting solutions to lighten their load, but for now, they are left with few options and growing pressure.