The burden of soaring house rents in Lagos and parts of Ogun State has pushed many families to the brink, as landlords continue to exploit the rising cost of living and economic instability to increase rent beyond the reach of average Nigerians.
For many tenants, the combined pressure of escalating rent, school fees, transport fares, and food prices has created a daily struggle for survival, leaving them with few options other than enduring growing hardship or facing homelessness.
Akin, a videographer living in Egbeda, described his ordeal as “worse than Dante’s inferno,” after his landlord increased the rent on his self-contained apartment from ₦450,000 to ₦700,000. “When I tried to negotiate, he simply threatened me with ejection,” he said, visibly distraught.
For Mrs Omowunmi, a petty trader in Alagbado, the situation has become unbearable. From ₦150,000 last year, her landlord now demands ₦350,000 for the same apartment, even as her husband remains bedridden after a stroke. “Two of our children are out of school because we can’t cope anymore,” she lamented.
Across several parts of Lagos mainland and Ogun suburbs, stories of hardship abound. Waheed, a machinist, said he now pays ₦850,000 for a small self-contained apartment that cost ₦500,000 in 2022. “Landlords no longer negotiate; they just tell you to leave if you can’t pay,” he said.
Housing experts say multiple factors are responsible for the sudden rent surge from reverse migration out of flood-prone areas like Ajah and Lekki to rising construction costs. Property consultant, Ibrahim Lijadu, explained that the movement of residents from Lagos Island to the mainland has put “unprecedented pressure” on housing demand.
“The incessant flooding in Ajah and Lekki has driven many people to areas like Egbeda, Ikotun, and Alimosho. The population surge naturally affects rent prices,” he told Observers Times.
But others believe greed plays a major role. “These houses are not newly built, yet rent keeps increasing,” said Akin Jimoh, a computer engineer. “Agents even encourage landlords to raise rent so they can get higher commissions.”
Doctors warn that the housing crisis is taking a toll on people’s health. Dr Abayomi Onietan of Trust Hospital revealed that stress from rent-related harassment has led to a rise in hypertension and stroke cases.
“This year alone, we’ve had several patients hospitalised due to the anxiety and pressure caused by inability to afford rent,” he said.
For tenants like Madam Nimota in Agbado Oja, the crisis is deeply personal. “The rent for our small apartment rose from ₦150,000 to ₦350,000 in one year — without any renovation,” she said. “It feels like a trap; you can’t pay, yet you can’t leave.”
Mounting public pressure has forced the Lagos State House of Assembly to consider a new tenancy regulation bill aimed at curbing arbitrary rent hikes. The proposed law seeks to limit landlords from demanding more than three months’ rent in advance for monthly tenants or more than one year for yearly tenancies.
The bill, titled “A Bill for a Law to Regulate the Relationship Between Landlords and Tenants, Including the Procedure for the Recovery of Premises in Lagos State,” would also strengthen dispute resolution and regulate estate agents’ operations.
Earlier this year, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s aide on new media, Jubril Gawat, hinted that rent control “is coming soon and will be well discussed and implemented,” raising cautious hope among tenants.
However, residents remain sceptical. “Government talks, but there’s no enforcement,” said a tenant, Okechukwu. “Landlords will ask you, ‘Did government buy cement or build the house for me?’”
