The growing difficulty of securing affordable accommodation in Abuja has renewed calls for stronger regulation of the rental market, with residents expressing mixed views on a proposed law seeking to protect tenants and regulate rent collection in the Federal Capital Territory.
The proposed Rent Regulation and Tenants Protection Bill, 2026, has attracted support from residents who believe it could address excessive advance rent demands, arbitrary increases and unlawful eviction practices. However, some stakeholders have questioned whether its provisions adequately reflect the interests of landlords and commercial property owners.
The bill, which seeks to restrict advance rent payments to a maximum of 12 months, is also expected to introduce a regulatory framework for rental transactions and provide mechanisms for resolving disputes between landlords and tenants.
Residents interviewed separately on Monday said the proposal could address some of the difficulties confronting renters, although they warned that its effectiveness would depend largely on implementation.
Victoria Olabisi, a public servant, described the proposed legislation as a necessary intervention, particularly for tenants who struggle to meet substantial upfront rental demands.
She recalled an experience in which she was required to pay two years’ rent in advance to demonstrate her commitment to securing accommodation, despite the landlord having little knowledge of her financial circumstances.
According to her, such demands place unnecessary pressure on tenants and could exclude individuals who are otherwise capable of meeting their rental obligations through more manageable payment arrangements.
Olabisi called for the bill to be supported by strict monitoring and appropriate sanctions against landlords and agents who violate its provisions.
She also advocated greater regulation of estate agents, reasonable rent assessments based on property location and available facilities, and measures to prevent discrimination against prospective tenants.
The proposed restriction on advance rent payments, however, is not the only concern among residents.
Akinola Akin-Adubi, a legal practitioner, identified recurring and unpredictable rent increases as a more significant challenge in Abuja’s rental market.
Mr Akin-Adubi described the proposed legislation as a welcome development but questioned the extent to which the demand for multiple years’ rent upfront was prevalent across the FCT.
“I do not think paying two years’ rent is rampant in Abuja. The major problem is arbitrary rent increases year after year,” he said.
He acknowledged that the Recovery of Premises Act already provides procedures for recovering rented properties but argued that additional provisions could strengthen the protection available to tenants.
For him, the passage of the bill would only represent the beginning of the process, as ensuring compliance could prove more difficult than securing legislative approval.
He therefore encouraged tenants to pursue legal remedies where landlords or estate agents infringe on their rights under the proposed legislation, if enacted.
While some residents have welcomed the proposed restrictions, others believe the legislation requires further consideration, particularly regarding commercial tenancies.
Sociologist Steven Okanlawon said the provisions available in media reports did not provide sufficient clarity on how the proposed law would address the different circumstances of residential and commercial tenants.
He argued that limiting advance payments to 12 months might offer relief to residential renters but could leave businesses exposed to similar demands through informal arrangements.
According to him, commercial tenants may find it difficult to challenge landlords because relocating business premises can involve substantial financial costs, operational disruptions and the loss of established customers.
Okanlawon also disclosed that his office landlord had previously demanded two years’ rent upfront, an experience he considered illustrative of the difficulties tenants could encounter.
He questioned whether the proposed regulatory authority would be sufficiently empowered to protect tenants, particularly those with limited financial resources who may find it difficult to challenge property owners.
The sociologist called for wider consultations with low-income earners, stronger provisions against arbitrary rent adjustments and clear requirements for property improvements before landlords increase rental charges.
However, the proposed restrictions have also generated concerns among property owners about the need to protect their interests.
Debo Adewale, a landlord based in Kubwa, argued that the legislation should recognise that disputes in the rental market are not exclusively caused by landlords.
He said some tenants fail to maintain shared facilities, neglect their responsibilities and create conditions that make continued tenancy difficult.
Mr Adewale described such experiences as frustrating, adding that landlords should retain lawful options for recovering their properties where tenants repeatedly breach their obligations.
He urged lawmakers to establish clear grounds for eviction and property recovery to prevent unnecessary disagreements while ensuring that tenants are not subjected to arbitrary treatment.
According to him, a balanced legal framework should protect both property owners and renters rather than place the responsibility for addressing rental disputes on one party alone.
A house agent, Godwin Okafor, also expressed reservations about the proposed 12-month restriction, arguing that landlords should have some flexibility in negotiating rental payment arrangements with prospective tenants.
“Landlords should be allowed to agree with tenants on how they want to collect rent. Limiting payments to one year may not work for every landlord,” he said.
The Rent Regulation and Tenants Protection Bill, sponsored by Paul Nnamchi and co-sponsored by Ahmed Doro, passed first reading in the House of Representatives on October 22.
Its central proposal is to prohibit landlords, estate agents and property managers from demanding more than 12 months’ rent upfront as a condition for granting, renewing or continuing a tenancy.
The restriction covers both residential and commercial properties and seeks to prevent parties from circumventing the proposed limit through compulsory service charges, separate agreements and artificial tenancy renewals.
However, the bill makes provision for tenants who voluntarily choose to pay beyond the 12-month limit, provided such arrangements originate from them, are free from coercion, threats, discrimination or retaliation, and are documented in writing.
Another major component is the proposed establishment of the Federal Capital Territory Rent Regulation and Tenants’ Protection Authority.
The proposed institution would be responsible for monitoring rental transactions, investigating complaints and facilitating the resolution of disputes between tenants, landlords and property managers.
Its proposed powers would include ordering refunds of unlawfully collected rent within 30 days, issuing compliance notices and monitoring the activities of landlords and estate agents.
The bill also outlines financial penalties for violations. Individuals who knowingly contravene the advance rent restriction could face fines ranging from N500,000 to N5 million, while corporate offenders could be liable to penalties between N5 million and N20 million.
On eviction, the proposed legislation seeks to prohibit the use of threats, violence, disconnection of essential services, destruction or removal of tenants’ belongings and the changing of locks without lawful authority.
It does not, however, seek to remove landlords’ legitimate rights to recover outstanding rent or repossess their properties. Rather, such actions would have to follow established legal procedures.
The proposed legislation comes amid years of complaints about the rising cost of accommodation and the difficulties associated with securing and retaining rental properties in Abuja.
In October 2023, residents raised concerns about indiscriminate rent increases, harassment and threats of eviction by landlords.
One of those who spoke out at the time was Dauda Abusali, an artist, who said his landlord had asked tenants unable to afford the increased rent to leave. He disclosed that the situation forced him to temporarily send his family away.
Esther Mamudu, a corps member, also recounted how her sister returned from school to discover that her rent had been increased without prior notice. According to her account, the landlord demanded immediate payment or that the occupant vacate the property.
Rental disagreements have also reportedly resulted in physical confrontations in parts of the FCT.
In November 2025, a tenant in Lambata, within Kwali Area Council, reportedly had an altercation with a caretaker after returning from work to discover that his room had been locked over an outstanding rent balance.
Other reported experiences have involved intimidation and threats by caretakers acting on behalf of landlords, particularly during disagreements over outstanding payments and tenancy arrangements.
In an account published in 2024, a tenant alleged that a caretaker threatened to evict her while she was away, despite her efforts to settle outstanding rent. She said the intimidation stopped after the caretaker became aware that she had sought legal assistance.
Apart from rental increases and eviction disputes, tenants have continued to complain about additional charges imposed when securing accommodation.
Agency, agreement, caution and maintenance fees, among other expenses, often add considerably to the financial requirements for renting a property.
A 2026 policy brief by the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies also identified arbitrary rent increases, weak enforcement and limited access to affordable dispute resolution as major challenges confronting tenants in Nigeria.
The report noted that sharp increases in rental costs could force low- and middle-income households to relocate, incur additional expenses or struggle to maintain stable accommodation.
Although the Recovery of Premises Act provides an existing legal framework for recovering rented properties in the FCT, the proposed bill seeks to extend regulatory oversight to other aspects of the landlord-tenant relationship.
Despite the support expressed by some residents, the proposed legislation faces the challenge of translating its provisions into practical protections for tenants without undermining the legitimate interests of property owners.
The concerns raised by residents point to the need for a regulatory system that can respond to complaints promptly, investigate violations and ensure that decisions are enforceable.
There are also questions about the proposed authority’s institutional capacity, funding, accessibility and ability to protect tenants who may be reluctant to report landlords for fear of losing their accommodation.
For landlords, clear procedures for recovering possession, addressing property damage and dealing with persistent breaches of tenancy agreements would be equally important.
The debate therefore extends beyond the proposed restriction on advance rent payments to broader questions about affordability, transparency, accountability and access to justice in the FCT housing market.
Ultimately, the success of the proposed legislation will depend not only on its passage but also on the effectiveness of the institutions responsible for enforcing it, the accessibility of dispute resolution mechanisms and the availability of affordable housing alternatives for residents.
