Lokoja: The Kogi House of Assembly is set to regulate tenancy arrangements, including rent increases and agency charges, as part of efforts to promote fairness and protect the interests of landlords and tenants. The proposed legislation, known as the Kogi State Tenancy Law 2025, also seeks to regulate the activities of estate agents as well as introduce safeguards for parties involved in tenancy agreements.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Mr. Akus Lawal, the lawmaker representing Ankpa 1 State Constituency, disclosed this development while speaking in Lokoja after the plenary session on the submission of the Public Hearing report on the bill. Lawal emphasized the necessity of the legislation due to the sharp increase in house rents, which has made accommodation increasingly unaffordable for residents.
Under the proposed law, all estate agents operating in Kogi State will be required to register through the Kogi Ministry of Housing. This measure aims to enable the government to identify genuine estate a
gents, regulate their activities, and enhance security within the property sector. The bill also seeks to address excessive agency and related charges imposed on tenants.
Lawal noted that some tenants currently pay between 15 to 20 percent in agency fees, caution fees, and other charges. The proposed legislation intends to harmonize such charges into a single-use fee of less than five percent, thereby reducing the financial burden on tenants. Furthermore, landlords will not be permitted to arbitrarily increase rents without justification, particularly where there has been no corresponding improvement or renovation of the property.
The proposed legislation is not solely intended to protect tenants but also aims to safeguard the legitimate interests of landlords. Provisions will address cases involving deliberate damage to rented properties and refusal by tenants to vacate premises after the expiration of tenancy agreements. Tenants who deliberately damage rented property will be required to restore it to an
acceptable condition before vacating, subject to verification by the landlord. Fines and possible jail terms are being proposed for tenants found culpable of deliberate destruction of rented properties.
Lawal added that the state government is making efforts to increase the supply of housing units, particularly for civil servants, to address the imbalance between demand and available accommodation. Increased housing supply, coupled with effective regulation of the tenancy market, is expected to help cushion the impact of rising rents and improve residents’ access to decent accommodation.
The lawmaker expressed optimism that the proposed law, when enacted and effectively implemented, would promote greater transparency, accountability, and fairness in the tenancy sector.