Some Abuja residents have welcomed the proposed Rent Regulation and Tenants Protection Bill, 2026, describing it as timely.
They said the proposed legislation could ease tenants’ financial burdens, curb excessive advance rent demands and protect renters against unlawful eviction.
The residents, who spoke in separate interviews on Monday, however, emphasised the need for effective enforcement to ensure the bill achieves its objectives.
Their concerns came amid growing complaints about rising accommodation costs, arbitrary rent increases, harassment, and other practices that make it increasingly difficult for residents to secure and retain accommodation.
The proposed legislation seeks to limit advance rent payments to 12 months, prohibit unlawful eviction practices and establish an authority to regulate rental transactions and protect tenants.
Victoria Olabisi, a public servant, said the bill should be passed into law to reduce tenants’ financial burdens and protect them against arbitrary practices.
Ms Olabisi recalled being asked to pay two years’ rent upfront as proof of commitment to securing accommodation, despite the landlord not knowing her financial circumstances. She stressed the need for strict enforcement, warning that the legislation might not achieve its objectives without adequate monitoring and penalties for offenders.
Ms Olabisi also called for regulating estate agents, setting reasonable rent based on location and available amenities, and taking measures to prevent discrimination against prospective tenants.
The resident said marital status should not determine whether an individual is qualified to rent a property. She urged lawmakers to introduce provisions against unjustified rent increases, insisting that any adjustment should be reasonable and guided by law.
Akinola Akin-Adubi, a legal practitioner, described the proposed legislation as a welcome development that could relieve tenants.
Mr Akin-Adubi, however, identified arbitrary rent increases as a more pressing concern than demands for multiple years’ rent upfront, stating, “I do not think paying two years’ rent is rampant in Abuja. The major problem is arbitrary rent increases year after year.”
He said although the Recovery of Premises Act provides procedures for recovering rented properties, the proposed legislation should introduce additional measures to strengthen tenants’ protection.
The legal practitioner expressed concern about implementation, noting that passing legislation was easier than ensuring compliance. He advised tenants to seek legal redress whenever landlords or agents violated their rights under the proposed law, if enacted.
A sociologist, Steven Okanlawon, expressed reservations about the proposed legislation, saying its provisions, as reported in the media, lacked sufficient details.
Mr Okanlawon said limiting advance rent payments to one year might benefit residential tenants but would not necessarily address challenges confronting businesses renting commercial properties. He explained that businesses could still face pressure to pay multiple years’ rent through informal arrangements because relocating could be expensive and disruptive.
The sociologist disclosed that his office landlord had previously demanded two years’ rent upfront, describing the experience as a concern requiring legislative attention. He also questioned whether the proposed legislation would be enforced effectively, arguing that financially stronger landlords could have advantages over tenants during disputes.
Mr Okanlawon called for wider consultations with low-income tenants, measures against arbitrary rent increases and clear requirements for property renovations before landlords raised rents.
However, Debo Adewale, a landlord residing in Kubwa, said the proposed legislation should also consider landlords’ experiences with difficult tenants, noting that some tenants “can be very frustrating” and “neither clean the compound nor contribute to its maintenance, so eviction may sometimes be the only reasonable option”.
Mr Adewale said landlords should have clear legal provisions for addressing tenants who repeatedly neglect shared facilities or fail to fulfil their responsibilities. He urged lawmakers to specify circumstances under which landlords could lawfully recover their properties to minimise disputes and protect both parties.
According to him, both landlords and tenants deserved protection against unfair practices.
Godwin Okafor, a house agent, opposed the proposed legislation, arguing that it could restrict landlords’ freedom to determine rental payment arrangements, saying, “Landlords should be allowed to agree with tenants on how they want to collect rent. Limiting payments to one year may not work for every landlord.”
The proposed law, sponsored by Paul Nnamchi and co-sponsored by Ahmed Doro, passed first reading in the House of Representatives on October 22. The bill seeks to prohibit landlords, estate agents and property managers from demanding more than 12 months’ rent upfront as a condition for granting, renewing or continuing a tenancy.
It also covers residential and commercial properties and seeks to prevent landlords from circumventing the proposed restriction through compulsory service charges, separate agreements and artificial tenancy renewals.
However, tenants could voluntarily pay more than 12 months’ rent if the arrangement originated with them, without coercion, threats, discrimination, or retaliation, and was documented in writing.
The proposed legislation also seeks to establish the Federal Capital Territory Rent Regulation and Tenants’ Protection Authority to investigate complaints, monitor rental practices and facilitate dispute resolution.
It would be empowered to order refunds of unlawful rent payments within 30 days, issue compliance notices and monitor landlords, property managers and estate agents.
Under the proposed bill, individuals who knowingly violate the advance rent restriction could face fines ranging from N500,000 to N5 million, while corporate offenders could pay between N5 million and N20 million.
The legislation further seeks to prohibit unlawful eviction methods, including threats, violence, disconnection of essential services, destruction or removal of tenants’ belongings and changing locks without lawful authority.
It would, however, preserve landlords’ rights to recover legitimately owed rent and repossess their properties through established legal procedures.
The proposed law follows increasing public concern about soaring rents, unjustified rent hikes and other landlord practices that have made finding and keeping homes harder for many Abuja residents.
In October 2023, residents complained about indiscriminate rent increases, harassment and threats of eviction by landlords.
One resident, Dauda Abusali, an artist, disclosed that his landlord had asked tenants to leave if they could not afford the demanded rent, forcing him to send his family away temporarily.
Esther Mamudu, a corps member, said her sister returned from school to discover that her rent had been increased without prior notice. According to Ms Mamudu, her sister was asked to pay immediately or vacate the accommodation.
In another reported incident, a tenant in Lambata, Kwali Area Council, reportedly engaged in a physical altercation with a caretaker after returning from work to discover that his room had been locked over an outstanding rent balance.
The incident, reported in November 2025, highlighted how disputes over rent payments and possession could escalate when parties resorted to self-help rather than established legal procedures.
There have also been reported cases of tenants facing intimidation, threats and pressure from caretakers acting on behalf of property owners, particularly over outstanding payments and disagreements concerning tenancy arrangements.
In one such account published in 2024, a tenant alleged that a caretaker threatened to evict her while she was away, despite her efforts to settle outstanding rent.
She said the caretaker stopped the alleged intimidation after learning that she had sought legal assistance.
Beyond eviction disputes, tenants have also complained about additional financial demands, including agency, agreement, caution and maintenance fees, which increase the cost of securing accommodation.
A 2026 policy brief by the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies identified arbitrary rent increases, weak enforcement and limited access to affordable dispute resolution as significant challenges confronting tenants in Nigeria.
The report noted that steep rent increases could force low- and middle-income households to relocate, incur additional expenses or struggle to maintain stable accommodation.
Although the Recovery of Premises Act provides procedures for recovering rented properties in the FCT, the proposed legislation seeks to establish a broader regulatory framework addressing rental practices and tenants’ protection.
However, concerns remain about whether the proposed authority would have sufficient institutional capacity to investigate complaints, enforce decisions and protect vulnerable tenants against intimidation.
The proposed legislation has therefore generated debate over the need to balance tenants’ rights with landlords’ legitimate interests, particularly regarding property maintenance, rent collection and recovery of possession.
Stakeholders say effective implementation, affordable housing provision, transparent tenancy agreements and accessible dispute resolution mechanisms will be critical to addressing the challenges confronting the FCT rental market.
(NAN)
