The Ekiti State Government has moved to curb the rising cost of accommodation across the state, announcing the establishment of an Estate Agents Committee to tackle arbitrary rents, excessive agency fees and other charges imposed on tenants.
The government said it would no longer fold its arms and allow residents to be subjected to what it described as exploitative and outrageous housing costs.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Housing and Mortgage Development, Dr Gboyega Oloniyo, disclosed this in Ado Ekiti on Saturday at a one-day house rent reduction sensitisation programme themed, “Connecting Homeowners and Making Accommodations Accessible to All in Ekiti State.”
The programme attracted major stakeholders in the real estate sector, including government officials, landlords, estate agents, surveyors and valuers.
Oloniyo said the rapid growth of Ekiti as an investment destination had attracted more people to the state, thereby increasing demand for decent and affordable accommodation.
He said the government had a responsibility to ensure that residents and new investors obtained value for money in their dealings within the housing and real estate sector.
“We are now an investment hub, and a lot of people will be coming in. They need to have a befitting shelter. So, the government must ensure that people get value for money when it comes to estate rents and valuations in Ekiti State,” he said.
The Special Adviser expressed concern over what he described as the growing practice of property owners increasing rents immediately after the completion of public infrastructure projects in their communities.
He also condemned excessive agency charges and what he called “all-inclusive facility fees,” saying such charges were making decent accommodation increasingly unaffordable for ordinary residents.
“Very worrisome is the emerging trend where public infrastructure investments are immediately followed by sharp and sometimes arbitrary rent increases by some property owners.
“In addition, the rising practice of excessive agency charges and ‘all-inclusive facility fees’ has further burdened tenants.
“These realities have made decent accommodation increasingly unreachable for many ordinary Ekiti residents,” Oloniyo said.
He said the government had decided to intervene because of reports of tenants paying substantially more than the original rents demanded by property owners.
“Government cannot fold its arms; we must ensure that things are properly regulated so that people are not cheated unnecessarily.
“People are being cheated now because of layers of obnoxious charges they call a total package. A landlord will put a house out at N90,000, and it will get to end users at N220,000. Things like this must change.
“That is why we are saying the government will not continue to fold its arms to see quacks or anybody make life difficult for people,” he stated.
Following deliberations among stakeholders at the programme, Oloniyo announced the establishment of the Estate Agents Committee of Ekiti State, which will comprise representatives of relevant stakeholders in the sector.
The committee, according to him, will help address arbitrary rent practices, monitor the activities of estate agents and promote greater transparency in the sector.
He urged landlords, estate agents and community leaders to cooperate with the government by reviewing rental charges, improving housing standards and putting the welfare of residents into consideration.
Oloniyo also highlighted the efforts of the administration of Governor Biodun Oyebanji in expanding the state’s housing stock through the construction of new estates and residential developments.
He said, “The state government is building a lot of estates now. There are many houses under this administration that are springing up in the nooks and crannies of the state. In the provision of houses, Ekiti State Government too is doing a lot, but we still need to continue on that strength.”
The Special Adviser, however, appealed to the Federal Government to take further steps to reduce the cost of building materials, noting that the high cost of construction had a direct impact on rents and the availability of affordable housing.
“I strongly believe that the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu will touch on all these things. So, we are calling on the FG to pay attention to that,” he said.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the Ekiti State House of Assembly Committee on Lands, Housing and Physical Planning, Yomi Ayorinde, commended the initiative, describing the stakeholder engagement as an important step towards finding a lasting solution to the housing crisis.
Ayorinde said the stakeholders had identified areas where rental costs could be reduced, stressing that affordable accommodation would benefit both residents and the wider economy of the state.
“We have listened to one another, we have identified areas where reduction can happen because affordable rents mean so well for everybody and the economy of the state.
“We have reviewed our position, and a committee has been set up. The committee will sit, and it will generate an actionable report.
“The House of Assembly, that I represent, will ensure that legal teeth are provided for such a report, convert the report into a law that is implementable so that we can streamline or standardise the rates being collected by agents,” he said.
The Director-General of the Ekiti State Bureau of Community Communications, Mrs Mary Oso-Omotosho, said the government would sustain discussions with stakeholders until a lasting solution was found to the rising cost of accommodation.
“We will continue to have the conversation, so that we will have a lasting solution to the rate at which house rent is skyrocketing in this state,” she said.
According to her, the committee would oversee the activities of estate agents, advise on appropriate rental rates and recommend areas where new legal frameworks would be required to regulate the sector and check the activities of unqualified practitioners.
The development followed earlier moves by Governor Oyebanji’s administration to regulate the real estate sector, particularly in Ado Ekiti and communities hosting tertiary institutions, where high demand for accommodation has contributed to rising rents.
Oloniyo had previously stated that the governor was determined to ensure that housing was not only available but also accessible and affordable to residents.
“The governor is interested in making sure that in the real sector, we should moderate and have regulations that will make life easy for the citizens of Ekiti State.
“The governor wants to ensure that houses are not only available, but they should also be accessible and affordable for the people.
“We will not relent on the issue of the bad eggs; flushing them out is our responsibility. The laws and regulations, by the time they are in place, will solve the issue of landlords raising their house rents arbitrarily. The laws that will be put in place soon will right the wrongs. The laws are coming,” he had said.
