LANDLORDS, AGENTS GET WARNING: Abia Assembly Passes Bill to Cut House Agent Commission

LANDLORDS, AGENTS GET WARNING: Abia Assembly Passes Bill to Cut House Agent Commission

The Abia State House of Assembly has passed the Abia State Property and Tenancy Regulatory Authority Bill 2026 (H.A.B 34), a law aimed at curbing exploitative rent practices by landlords and housing agents in the state, according to civil society organisation Spaces for Change (S4C).

In a statement signed by its executive director, Victoria Ibezim-Ohaeri, S4C commended the Assembly for passing the bill, which establishes the Abia State Property and Tenancy Regulatory Authority. The organisation noted that agent commissions in the state currently go as high as 20 per cent of annual rent.

Once signed into law by the state governor, the legislation will cap chargeable agent commission at five per cent, curb the activities of unlicensed agents, and help sanitise the housing sector. The law also sets out clear processes for landlords to address cases where tenants breach tenancy agreements or engage in conduct that disrupts the orderly occupation of a property.

S4C described the Assembly’s action as commendable, saying it shows that political will can translate public aspirations into governance. The group linked exorbitant rent hikes in major urban centres such as Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt to a rise in slums, indiscriminate construction on waterways, and the occupation of public spaces including under-bridges and road medians — a cycle it said often leads to government demolitions and forced evictions with climate and social consequences.

The organisation urged the Abia State Governor to assent to the bill without delay, and called on other state governments, particularly Lagos State, to advance similar tenancy reforms to benefit more Nigerians.