“𝐀𝐝𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐑𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐃𝐞𝐥𝐭𝐚 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝗔 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗿𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝘀’.
𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗲: 7th 𝗼𝗳 𝗙𝗲𝗯𝗿𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘆, 2025
𝗕𝗬: 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗩𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗢𝗷𝗲𝗶 𝗽𝗼𝗽𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗪𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗕𝗼𝘅,𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗴 𝗡𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗥𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗢𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. 𝗙𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝘂𝘀 𝘃𝗶𝗮 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁𝘀𝗮𝗽𝗽 𝗼𝗻 +234 803 878 5262_
𝐈𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬, 𝐃𝐞𝐥𝐭𝐚 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐚 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐠𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬,𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐛𝐲 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬, 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐫𝐮𝐩𝐮𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐞𝐱𝐨𝐫𝐛𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬. This trend has made housing increasingly unaffordable for the average citizen, inadvertently creating a market that primarily caters to individuals engaged in illicit activities—such as kidnappers, prostitutes, fraudsters, and drug traffickers—who can readily meet these inflated demands.
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐥 𝐅𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬:
𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐥𝐚𝐰, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥. As such, any alteration to the terms of the agreement, including rent increases, requires mutual consent. Unilateral decisions by landlords to increase rent without tenant agreement are deemed ineffective and unenforceable.
𝗜𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗨𝗱𝗶𝗵 𝘃. 𝗜𝘇𝗲𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗺𝘄𝗲𝗻 (1990) 2 𝗡𝗪𝗟𝗥 (Pt. 132) 357, the landlord attempted to unilaterally increase the rent from ₦50 to ₦500 per month. The court held that such a unilateral increase is merely an offer or proposal. If the tenant refuses to accept the proposed rent, the landlord must follow legal procedures to terminate the tenancy rather than impose the new rent.
𝐒𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲, 𝐢𝐧 𝐂𝐨𝐛𝐫𝐚 𝐋𝐭𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐎𝐫𝐬 𝐯. 𝐎𝐦𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐄𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐋𝐭𝐝 (2000) 𝐋𝐏𝐄𝐋𝐑-6809(𝐂𝐀), the Court of Appeal emphasized that the issue of rent between a landlord and tenant is a matter of agreement, either express or implied. Being contractual, its terms cannot be altered unilaterally by either party without the agreement of the other. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞, 𝐚 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐝’𝐬 𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐩𝐚𝐲𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐦𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭.
Furthermore, in Jovinco Nigeria Ltd & Anor v. Ibeozimako (2014) LPELR-23599(CA), the court reiterated that the matter of rent increment must be supported by an agreement to that effect. The landlord cannot unilaterally alter the terms of the agreement to increase the rent without the tenant’s consent.
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐥𝐭𝐚 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐥𝐲:
The Delta State House of Assembly has a duty of care to its citizens and should consider enacting a bill titled the “Rent Review Laws of Delta State.” This legislation would aim to regulate rental prices, ensuring they remain within reasonable limits and reflect the economic realities of the populace. Such a law would provide much-needed protection for tenants against arbitrary and excessive rent increases.
𝐆𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞:
Beyond legislative measures, there is an urgent need for the government to invest in low-cost housing schemes and estates. By increasing the availability of affordable housing, the pressure on the rental market can be alleviated, making it more accessible to law-abiding citizens.
Additionally, expanding road networks into suburban regions would help decongest urban areas. Establishing key infrastructures, such as companies, government offices, and police stations, in these suburban areas would encourage population dispersion. This strategic development could lead to a more balanced distribution of housing demand, thereby discouraging astronomical rent increments in concentrated urban centers.
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐭:
Without immediate and effective intervention, tenants in Delta State face a precarious future. The unchecked escalation of rental prices not only threatens the economic stability of individuals and families but also risks fostering environments where only those with illicit means can afford housing.
𝐈𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐥𝐭𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐬𝐰𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐥 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐳𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐩𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬,𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐲,𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠-𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐦 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐃𝐞𝐥𝐭𝐚 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞.