Ogona Anita
A Port Harcourt based Human Rights Activist and a Legal Research Expert, JOHN IHUA has proposed a legislative bill to Rivers State House of Assembly for a law to control excessive house rent and Establish a body known as Rent Control Authority and for other related matters.
IHUA said the Bill seeks to regulate excessive house rent increase in Rivers State, protect Tenants from exploitation, ensure and establish a structural dispute resolution mechanism.Rights Activist and a Legal Research Expert said he was motivated by the growing hardship faced by residents of the state due to alarming and unregulated increase in house rents across the state and possibly means of regulating arbitrary and excessive increase in rents, providing a legal framework for fair and reasonable rent review.
According to the bill, JOHN IHUA defined Excessive Rent Increase, as any rent increment exceeding fifteen to twenty percent of the existing annual rent within a 12 month period, except as otherwise approved under the Law, advocating that minimum imposed rent without justifiable reasons such as Substantial renovation, Structural improvement, or Significant economic drainage verified by the Rent control authority should not be recognized.
JOHN IHUA while also advocating for any increment to have a duration of three years and above before any further increment, complained that indiscriminate increase of rent has placed unbearable burden on low and middle income earners, thereby worsening the already challenging economic realities face by citizens.
He urged the lawmakers to give the proposed bill the urgent legislative attention it deserves in the interest of justice, equity, and social welfare Our correspondent also reports that other benefits of the proposed bill are to prevent arbitrary and excessive increase in house rent, Protect tenants from exploitation and unlawful eviction, promote fairness and predictability in rental transactions as well as establish a transparent dispute resolution framework.
