The Oyo State government has engaged the Estate Rent and Commission Agents’ Association to tackle issue of rising rents and commission extortion in the housing sector.

This is contained in a statement issued on Thursday in Ibadan by the commissioner for information and civic orientation, Dotun Oyelade.

Mr Oyelade said that the engagement between government and representatives of the association on Wednesday in Ibadan was to protect tenants and to sanitise the housing sector in the state.

He said that the government team to the meeting was led by the commissioner for lands, housing, and urban development, Williams Akin-Funmilayo while Mutahir Okekunle, the association’s chairman led members of his executive.

Mr Oyelade quoted Mr Akin-Funmilayo as saying  the activities of house agents needed to be regulated, thus, government’s engagement with the leadership of the association to achieve this.

The commissioner for lands, housing and urban development asserted that while the government could not dictate the amount property owners charge as rent, “such practices can be regulated by law”.

He recalled that the State House of Assembly, during its sitting on Monday, debated a similar issue and expressed the view that a law regulating the activities of estate agents would soon be enacted.

“So, before this happens, we have to discuss and develop a position that will be presented to the House of Assembly to guide its deliberations”, Mr Akin-Funmilayo said.

He tasked members of the association to come up with a clear position on the issue, which would be forwarded to the House of Assembly for further engagement.

The commissioner stressed that it would not be appropriate for the ministry to sit back and dictate the percentage to be charged by agents.

“Rather, practitioners in the field should provide guidance, which the ministry will review, form opinions on, and develop recommendations to be forwarded to the House of Assembly for consideration,” Mr Akin-Funmilayo said.

In his remarks, Mr Okekunle commended the state government, noting that most of the present government policies have positively supported their operations.

He said that the association was aware of the concerns raised and had been working on the issue.

The chairman said that inspection charges was one of the avenues through which some bad eggs among estate agents extorted accommodation seekers.

He urged the government to support the association in flushing out such unscrupulous elements from its ranks. 

(NAN)