The Enugu State House of Assembly has passed for a second reading a bill to amend the 2004 Landlord and Tenant Law.

The bill scaled the second reading on Tuesday in Enugu during the plenary at the assembly complex.

Leading a debate on the bill, the sponsor, Okey Mbah, said the legislation aimed to lessen the frustration and exploitations faced by prospective tenants.

Mr Mbah noted that the exploitation ranged from exorbitant legal fees, agency fees, caution fees and caretaker’s wine, adding that these charges have made it difficult for many people to afford decent accommodation.

The lawmaker representing Nkanu East Constituency said this explained why the bill attracted unprecedented attention from people within and outside the state.

Mr Mbah noted that many people have benefitted from the exploitation, pointing out that the amendment bill was not targeted at anybody, nor was it seeking to increase rent.

According to him, the state government must take drastic action to check the excesses of agents and protect low-income earners.

“This second amendment bill is proposed to alter the provisions of the 2004 Landlord and Tenant Bill as amended in 2008.

“It is basically proposed to address the arbitrary and high cost charged by agents in Enugu State in the course of procuring house rents from prospective tenants.

“This high cost to prospective tenants comes with no regulations as the rent markets have become a free-for-all, with most persons posing as agents defrauding innocent accommodation seekers. These agents disappear without a trace in most cases.

“Section 3 of this amendment proposed an amount not exceeding 10 per cent of the annual rent as an agent fee, and section 4 also proposed the same to apply to the legal fee charged.

“The bill, at the same time, seeks to abolish other arbitrary charges like caution fees, management bills and other hidden charges added to prospective tenants,” Mr Mbah said.

Contributing, Anthony Nwankwo, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Awgu South, regretted that the cost of house rent and legal and agency fees in Enugu were on par with those in Lagos and Abuja.

He described the situation as worrisome.

Mr Nwankwo noted that the House should investigate landlords who increase their rents yearly, stressing that they are placing unimaginable burdens on residents.

However, Hyginus Okoh (PDP-Enugu East Urban) warned against passing a bill that would make agents further “punish” accommodation seekers.

Mr Okoh noted that the land surveying cost increased immediately after surveyors were asked to pay a certain amount to the government.

In his remark, the speaker, Uche Ugwu, asked the House Committees on Housing and Judiciary to work on the bill and submit their report on March 25.

(NAN)